Kingdom Come
by StarKnight2.0
Summary: Rewrite of "Thy Kingdom Come". After an attack on Soul Society by a group of knights, Rukia is sent to America to investigate them and a strange town called Amity Park. Can she uncover their plan or will Soul Society be destroyed?
1. First Blood

**(a/n: Here we go, the rewrite, as promised. Sorry for the long wait, got very busy, hit writers block and other projects came up. Enjoy!)**

* * *

Ch.1: First Blood

Night had long since fallen over Soul Society.

A black starless sky silently looked down on the Seireitei as a security patrol made the rounds in a remote part of the Seireitei. The four Shinigami marched closely together, with the leader carrying a lantern to light the way and the rest stayed alert, watching out for anything out of the ordinary. The warm orange light of the lantern dispelled some of the darkness and created long, exaggerated shadows along the steep walls that towered above them.

The leader of this patrol, a middle-aged man named Takashi, was lost in thought.

Although his eyes roved about in an effort seek out anything strange, the senior Shinigami couldn't help but feel bored. It had been almost five months since the defeat of the treacherous former captain, Sosuke Aizen. Sosuke Aizen, the man who betrayed the Gotei 13 and escaped with his compatriots, fellow former captains Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. Soul Society was dealt a heavy blow by their betrayal, what with Central 46 slaughtered and three divisions left leaderless. Not to mention the damage and injuries received during the Ryoka invasion before their betrayal.

Takashi was hazy on a lot of the details but he remembered hearing about how close the battle with Aizen was. A lot of blood was shed and a certain substitute Shinigami used up all his power to stop Aizen. Needless to say, everyone in Soul Society owed a debt of gratitude to that substitute Shinigami.

Although Aizen was locked away and his Arrancar army destroyed, it didn't mean that any of the thirteen squads could relax. Security was still tight and everyone stayed on the alert. Though the physical wounds of the war were healed, the same probably couldn't be said of the emotional wounds.

Aizen, Gin and Tosen were well loved and respected, so the pain inflected upon them by their treachery wasn't going away for a while.

Regardless of how he felt, the seasoned Shinigami had a job to do and he needed to focus.

Takashi forced himself out of his thoughts and regained focus on his surroundings. The patrol marched around a corner and carried on for a good little while. A soft wind blew. The paper lantern bobbed in the dark with each step like a firefly. As they neared a set of gates, Takashi realized something and came to an abrupt halt. His fellow Shinigami paused as well.

"What is it?" asked the youngest of the group.

"Something's not right" Takashi said softly, his eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean?" asked one of the other men in the squad. He was a man Takashi's age, though he couldn't remember his name. "Its perfectly peaceful tonight. Nothing suspicious."

"Yes, but correct me if I'm wrong" the elder Shinigami said, turning to his comrades "Weren't we supposed to meet up with the other patrol when we reached the checkpoint?" His comrades nodded. Takashi looked about him then his expression grew worried "We've passed it a few minutes ago."

A cold silence fell on the four. Each security patrol was assigned an area of the Seireitei to patrol and every once in a while they would check in with other patrols at certain areas that bordered each assigned area. Some patrol groups covered the barracks and other quarters, others covered various offices and other areas of high importance. Takashi's patrol was given a more remote area that encompassed the elaborate maze of walls that snaked through the Seireitei and brushed up against the giant wall separating the Seireitei and the districts outside.

While it is possible that the other patrol was running late, it was highly unlikely. If Takashi was right, the other patrol group could either be slacking off or something was terribly wrong. Knowing the men of the other patrol, it was unlikely that they were slacking off.

The four retraced their steps and found the designated meeting place. It was empty.

They conducted a brief search until one of them stumbled upon a body. It was partially hidden in the shadows behind a large lion statue. The others gathered around the corpse and Takashi brought the light closer to get a better look. He suddenly wished he hadn't.

The body was of a man roughly Takashi's age and was white and cold as marble. "Sasaki" one of the men murmured gravely. The Shinigami's once energetic eyes were cold and lifeless. His handsome face retained a shocked expression. His limbs were broken and twisted while his chest was caved in. Takashi murmured a curse. He knew Sasaki from when they were in the academy. Sasaki was always less serious than Takashi, but he was a good man and a good fighter. Seeing him like this made Takashi feel sick and angry.

"Does anyone else hear that?" one of the men asked aloud. Takashi blinked. He pushed aside his anger and sorrow and listened. For a good moment there was nothing. Takashi and the others listened for a few moments longer, straining to hear and were surprised when the sound of a voice reached their ears.

Carried on the soft evening breeze, the voice sounded gentle and sad. Feeling an eerie chill slither down his spine, Takashi's hand drifted to the hilt of his Zanpakuto. His fellow Shinigami did likewise. He passed the lantern to the youngest of the group and he motioned for them to follow. The four Shinigami pressed forward into the darkness, the lantern doing little to banish the dark. They followed the humming until they came to a walled up dead end.

Just beyond the edge of the lantern's light, Takashi and the other Shinigami found the source of the singing. Partially cloaked in shadow, a small figure dressed in a ratty old cloak was hunched over, doing something that they couldn't see. The figure was singing a tune of sorts in a soft voice.

Judging from the voice, the figure was a man.

"Hey!" Takashi called out "You! What are you doing here?"

The figure didn't respond. He kept humming and continued to do something that none of the Shinigami could see.

"Hey!" Takashi tried again "I'm talking to you! Identify yourself!"

Nothing. Takashi scowled. What the hell was this guy's problem? Couldn't he hear him? He probably could and was probably just ignoring the Shinigami. The Shinigami's hand tightened around the hilt of his Zanpakuto and he marched forward. His comrades followed, each drawing their weapons. As they got closer, Takashi could better hear the words the cloaked man sang but couldn't understand them.

When Takashi and the others drew near, they froze when the lantern light revealed what the man was doing. The ground before the man was decorated with an intricate circle of jagged alien looking symbols. Standing on its own in the middle of the circle was a short crooked staff of wood topped by skull that seemed to grin at them.

"What the hell?" one of the Shinigami murmured.

Takashi brought the lantern closer to get a better look. The cloaked man's shadows lengthened, towering over them like a giant. The man didn't seem to notice the Shinigami's approach, though the soft singing was replaced by silence. Takashi cautiously moved to the man's side to get a better look at this intruder. The man looked ancient. A head of wispy white poked out from under his hood and spilled down chest.

The strange man was really giving the experienced Shinigami bad vibes. Everything about him made him seem otherworldly. His wrinkled, saggy white skin almost glowed in the lantern light while his moist bloodshot eyes remained blank and unfocused, almost as if he were in a trance. His lips moving wordlessly beneath his bushy beard as his boney blood soaked finger mechanically added more symbols to the circle.

Takashi tried to talk to the man but the man continued painting symbols. He waved a hand in front of the man's eyes and still got no response.

"What the hell is wrong with this guy?" Takashi heard one of his companions wondered aloud.

"I don't know" another said gruffly "and I don't care. Lets dispose of this Ryoka and be done with it."

"Hold on, we can't just kill him" the youngest of the group protested, "He's just an old man."

"An old man with a skull on a stick drawing weird symbols in blood" the third member of their party pointed out "For all we know, he's the one responsible for the death of the other patrol."

Takashi didn't like killing. He had hoped to avoid violence but after what they found, the experienced Shinigami couldn't help but agree with his comrade. But there was also the question of how did the old man get into the Seireitei without anyone noticing in the first place.

Takashi spoke up "I agree, however I believe it would be beneficial for us to take him alive and learn more about how he got past our defenses."

The other Shinigami nodded and turned their attention to the man and saw that the old man had stopped mouthing wordlessly, his circle of drawing symbols on the ground. The old man stood, rising only a little due to being stooped by age. He turned and faced the Shinigami, eyebrows rising a little.

The old man spoke. He seemed to be asking something but his question was made in a strange language that none in the group understood. Noticing their confusion and the apparent language barrier, the old man raised a hand. The Shinigami quickly reached for their weapons but were suddenly hit by a gust of wind that faintly smelled sweet.

After the gust died down, the old man cleared his throat and asked again. "Can I help you?"

The Shinigami stared at the old man in surprise. They could understand him now. How as this possible?

"I understand your confusion" the old man said kindly "Its something I'm getting used to myself. I would try and communicate to you like a normal person, though I'm afraid that my grasp of your language is, embarrassingly, lacking. I don't have a translator, so this little spell should help us understand one another just fine."

Takashi frowned at the old man. Although he could understand him, the Shinigami still didn't get what the strange man was getting at.

"Who are you?" Takashi asked, his hand on his Zanpakuto.

"Well, I am a scholar first and foremost," the stranger explained causally "though I wear many hats. Why just recently I attained the title of 'court magician' from my master."

Takashi cocked an eyebrow "A magician?"

"Aye, though I never cared about that title" the man said, waving a dismissive hand "I find it rather limiting. I'm known by many other names but you, good sirs, can call me Ludan."

Takashi and two of his comrades shared confused looks over the old man's behavior, though the man who suggested killing the old man, a hotheaded Shinigami named Oka, scowled at Ludan and cut in before Takashi could speak up.

"Enough!" He barked, leveling his Zanpakuto at the hunchbacked old man "Were you the one who killed our friends?"

Ludan frowned "Kill? No, no, that wasn't me. Unfortunately that was the handy work of my protector, a brutish fellow that my master entrusted my safety to. I'm afraid he has quite a temper, possibly due to that awful grudge he holds against you lot."

"Protector?" Takashi questioned.

The old man nodded with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eye. "Aye, he's right behind you right now. Say hello Charles!"

Takashi suddenly felt a cold and murderous presence behind him. He spun around just in time to see a giant shadowy figure bring down a massive war hammer upon Oka. Oka vanished in a burst of dust, rubble and blood. Takashi and the other Shinigami leapt away as the figure swiped at them with the large, blood soaked weapon.

The youngest of the group attempted to retaliate but was swept aside by the swing of the war hammer. The young Shinigami was flattened against a nearby wall, causing dust and blood to scatter.

Takashi and the other surviving Shinigami successfully dodged another swipe of the massive weapon. Takashi ducked in time as the hammer almost knocked his head clean off. _This guy's good _Takashi thought. The Shinigami didn't sense his attacker's presence until he attacked. Before then, there was nothing. It felt like he didn't exist until the old man mentioned him.

Takashi's only surviving comrade retaliated. He dodged another swing of the hammer and swung at their attacker. Takashi saw the blade pass through the towering figure, running from shoulder to waist. The massive figure, Charles, didn't seem fazed. Takashi blinked in surprise.

"What the-?" the bewildered Shinigami said but the rest of his sentence died when a blast of emerald light consumed him, setting him ablaze. The Shinigami screamed and before Takashi could act, it was over. The emerald flames dissipated and all that was left was a charred corpse.

The scent stung Takashi's nose and made his stomach lurch. Before he could process what just happened, a big, meaty hand clamped onto Takashi's face, completely enveloping it. The Shinigami was lifted up off the ground and was tossed through the air like a rag doll.

When he landed, Takashi rolled and tumbled until he came to a sudden stop, facing up at the starless sky. He moved to get up but couldn't. His limbs wouldn't respond to his commands.

"What the?" Takashi breathed in shock.

"Well that was rather violent" Ludan remarked sardonically "I thank you for the help but was that really necessary? I mean really, look at this mess! Now I got to clean this up before someone sees it. If only you had kept your cool for another moment, we would've had four Shinigami in our grasp but no, you had to go and reduce the lot to paste!"

A deep voice grumbled, "Shut up. You got one. That's what you said right? 'save at least one'."

"I did but I also said that more would make our jobs easier."

"Just cast the bloody spell, magician. We're running out of time and we don't want to keep 'em waiting."

"Alright, alright."

Footsteps drew close until Takashi saw Ludan and his protector, Charles, standing over him. Charles was a mountain of a man with a bushy black beard. A cold and harsh expression was chiseled in his marble face. His twin red eyes twinkled like rubies in the night. Charles towered over Ludan and Takashi could easily see him match Captain Zaraki in size. His size wasn't the only intimidating feature about him.

The large pale man wore chainmail under a dark blue tunic, greaves, a gorget, spaulders and gauntlets. His massive, bloodied war hammer rested easily on his shoulder. Takashi's attacker didn't seem bothered by the size or weight of the weapon. Everything about him declared that he was a warrior and one not to be taken lightly.

Takashi's eyes scanned the large man. There wasn't even a mark on the man. Not a scratch. But how could that be? The experienced Shinigami saw the blade hit its mark. Or did it? Takashi's train of thought ended when the old man summoned a burlap sack from somewhere and withdrew a glass bottle from the sack.

He set the sack aside and uncorked the bottle. He extended a hand and began to move it in a circular motion over the helpless Shinigami. A bizarre incantation began to tumble from the ancient man's thin lips.

The words were brief, harsh sounding and completely alien to Takashi. Panic flared in the reaper's heart and he tried his hardest to move but failed to move so much as a finger. The air grew still and began to crackle with green sparks.

A sharp, needle like pain began to spread to every inch of Takashi's body, as if he were being skewered by millions of hot needles.

A soundless scream tore from Takashi's throat his whole body unraveled and all went black.

* * *

Rukia let out a long and tired yawn as she trudged back towards the Squad 13 barracks.

It had been a long and dull day. Nothing but the usual: patrolling the World of the Living, performing konso and taking care of any Hollow that attacked. But none ever came. Normally there would be one or two but for the last few months, things have been unusually quiet.

It was a nice change of pace but it was a nice change of speed compared to the mountains of paper work.

"Rukia!" a familiar voice called. She looked over her shoulder and saw Renji jogging to catch up to her.

"Renji" Rukia greeted warmly "How are you?"

"Good" the lieutenant of Squad 6 replied "Just heading out to check on an overdue patrol, you?"

"Heading to the barracks, I'm exhausted."

"I haven't seen you in weeks, what's been going on with you?"

Rukia smiled wryly "I've been busy lately, reports and all that. You know, life of a lieutenant."

Renji grinned. The two lieutenants continued their conversation as they proceeded toward Squad 13's barracks, which so happened to be in the direction of the checkpoint for Renji's missing patrol.

As they walked, the two friends caught up with each other. Rukia learned that Renji was having an equally enjoyable few months as she was, filled with errands, reports and unusually uneventful patrols. On the topic of the world of the living, Rukia was silent, her face adopting a pensive look.

"You miss him do you?" Renji asked.

"Hmm?" Rukia blinked, looking up at her friend.

"Ichigo"

"Oh, well, yeah, a little." It has been five months Aizen's defeat, five months since she said goodbye to a good friend. Following the defeat of the traitorous captain, Rukia threw herself back into her duties as lieutenant of Squad 13, though occasionally, her mind drifted back to the orange haired substitute Shinigami. She also thought about the others she befriended in Karakura Town during her time there. Although she could go see them whenever she had free time or when she was on patrol but it just wasn't feasible.

Ichigo lost his Shinigami abilities and now can't see her, meanwhile Orihime and the others were busy with their own lives. Besides, Rukia had her own duties and life to worry about.

Coming to an intersection, Rukia felt a chill wash over her, making her stop in her tracks. As quickly as it came, the chill vanished. The lieutenant of Squad 13 scowled.

"Something wrong?" Renji asked, pausing right alongside her.

Rukia shook her head "I-I don't know. I just got this weird feeling"

"Weird feeling?"

Rukia nodded. She didn't know exactly what the feeling was but the best description that she gave to Renji was that it felt as if the air had gone cold and that something terrible had just happened. Renji frowned.

"That is strange," her friend murmured.

"What could it mean?" Rukia asked. Renji shrugged.

As the two considered what had just happened, they saw a dark haired lanky man in the typical black kimono of a Shinigami walk by. Renji looked at the man and frowned. The red haired lieutenant was good with remembering faces but for some reason he didn't recognize the man, which bugged him.

"You there! Stop!" Renji shouted. The man halted and looked toward Renji. The red haired lieutenant marched toward him.

"What are you doing here? What squad are you with?" Renji demanded.

The man stared at Renji blankly. Rukia approached, a frown forming on her face. Something didn't feel right. The man's face was devoid of emotion and while he was looking at Renji, it looked as if he were looking right through the lieutenant.

"Well, what do you have to say for yourself?" Renji asked in a firm, authoritative tone. The man stood there, shoulders slumped, dead eyed. The two lieutenants stared at the man in awkward silence.

After a few moments of nothing, Renji grabbed the man by the scruff of his kimono and demanded, "Answer me smart ass!" Renji demanded, "What squad are you with?"

As Rukia watched in growing apprehension, she heard the soft jingle of a bell. She frowned and heard it again. The lieutenant of Squad 13 looked around her to find the source of the jingling but stopped when she heard a gentle voice speak.

"Lieutenant" said the voice, slowly.

Rukia looked and saw that the man Renji was interrogating now seemed to be aware of their presence. Renji scowled "What?"

"You…are a lieutenant, correct?" the lanky man asked, his voice blank as his face.

"Obviously, as you can see from this badge" Renji gestured to the bag on his arm.

The man's dull eyes followed and held on the badge for a moment. An eerie smile formed on the man's face. "I see" the man said, "Perfect."

Renji opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted when what sounded like an explosion shattered the tranquil night. The sky was suddenly lit up when four pillars of emerald light erupted from elsewhere within the Seireitei, bathing the world in a sickly green glow. The emerald pillars crashed against the invisible dome of spiritual energy that shielded the Seireitei from invasion and, astonishingly, began to burn open four large holes into the protective dome.

Renji and Rukia gaped at the sight. The nameless grinning man looked up and began to cackle.

The red haired lieutenant glared at the cackling man and demanded, "What is this? Did you do this?" The man gave Renji a look that startled him. The man's face looked like a twisted parody of itself from a few moments ago. His face glowed a sickly shade of green. His dark dull eyes now gleamed with a kind of wild, maniacal energy.

The nameless Shinigami giggled. "Maybe," he said in a singsong voice "I can't say for certain because I've been a rather naughty boy tonight."

"Who the hell are you?" Renji asked, cautiously stepping back and reaching for his Zanpakuto.

"Well, now that tonight's main event has begun I suppose it's appropriate that I cast aside this bit part and reassume my true role!" The man suddenly doubled over, a loud sickening crack of bone sounded. His back began to balloon and the fabric of his kimono began to tear. He reached up with both hands and tore away the skin of his face with one hand and his kimono with the other, revealing an unnaturally pale face and glowing red eyes.

The man straightened up to his full height, pops and cracks sounded off loudly until he was upright, standing a few inches taller than Renji and a foot or so taller than before. He discarded his ruined mask and costume, revealing the brightly colored jester's motley he was wearing underneath. The stranger was tall and gangly with toothpick like limbs in checkered sleeves and striped trousers with large expressive hands and large feet in curly toed shoes. The man dusted himself off and gave the two surprised lieutenants a theatrical bow, a wide grin fixed to his unnaturally pale face.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the clownish man said, his voice nasally and dramatic, "I am Quince! Court Jester and Master of Revelries for His Majesty's new court and I would like to welcome you to tonight's main event, the opening act of our new play: the total annihilation of Soul Society!"

Almost on cue, loud alarms and bells rang in the once still evening, followed closely by loud, thunderous explosions and bestial roars. These sounds indicated only one thing: the Seireitei was under attack. Rukia and Renji looked at the jester in shock.

"You bastard!" Renji drew his sword and attacked, swinging at the pale jester with the speed befitting one at the rank of lieutenant. However, his blade sailed through empty air and Renji felt a sharp conk on the head.

Renji jumped aside and saw Quince standing there, holding a scepter with a tiny jester head on it that was Quince's own likeness. It wasn't very painful or fatal attack, just annoying and surprising. Renji rubbed his head. "What the hell?" the lieutenant grumbled.

"Got you!" the jester giggled. The brightly dressed jester abruptly vanished, as Rukia's Zanpakuto lunged through where he was standing an instant before. Renji blinked in surprise. This clown was fast.

"Yoohoo!" came a singsong voice. The two looked up and saw Quince atop a nearby wall, hopping from one foot to another in a jovial, mocking dance.

"Come on, join in the fun!" he began shaking his rear at them in a taunting fashion.

Renji scowled "I'm going to carve this bastard into tiny little pieces!" He leapt into the air and swung his blade down on the clown, but the clown had vanished and reappeared behind Renji, conking him on the head once again.

"Tag you're it!" Quince cackled as he disappeared and reappeared atop a distant rooftop. "Get back here!" Renji snarled. Rukia and Renji gave chase.

* * *

As the two lieutenants pursued the strange jester through the emerald night, Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya and his lieutenant rushed toward the sounds of battle elsewhere. Moments ago, the white haired captain was enjoying a peaceful evening alone but was disturbed by the pillars of light and explosions.

As he raced toward the closest sound of explosions, which happened to be near by one of the pillars, his lieutenant joined him.

"What is it Captain?" Rangiku asked, keeping pace with her captain "Arrancar?"

"I don't know" Hitsugaya responded brusquely "But we shall see soon enough."

The two rounded a corner and came to a clearing around the base of one of the pillars where a battle was already taking place. A handful of Shinigami were busy fighting off Hollows. Hitsugaya blinked in surprise. This was new. He focused on the battle.

The Hollows looked fearsome looked about the same as a typical Hollow; large, insect-like or animalistic with bone white masks on each face and a gaping hole in each chest. The Shinigami present were holding their own and were destroying Hollows right and left but the problem appeared to be that with each Hollow cut down, two more emerged from the blazing pillar of emerald light a few feet away.

"We got to do something about that pillar," Hitsugaya murmured under his breath. Rangiku and Hitsugaya joined the fray.

The white haired captain drew his Zanpakuto and unleashed Hyorinmaru's ability. "Reign over the Frosted Heavens" Hitsugaya intoned as crackling ice began to form up and down his blade "Hyorinmaru!" With a swing of his blade, a torrent of spiritual power flowed from the tip of his blade, taking the form of a serpentine ice dragon.

The dragon roared and rushed through the approaching tide of Hollows emerging from the pillar. In seconds, the invaders and a lower section of the pillar were all encased in a layer of dark blue ice. The other Shinigami quickly dispatched the remaining Hollows. Some exuberant cheers went up.

They believed they had achieved victory but Captain Hitsugaya wasn't so certain. Nothing about this was adding up. How were Hollows able to breach the Seireitei? There was also the issue of the pillars. In the distance, Hitsugaya could see the other three emerald pillars blazing away. Whoever or whatever instigated this wasn't finished, of this the white haired captain was certain.

Captain Hitsugaya turned to Rangiku and the assembled Shinigami and was about to order them to go aid their comrades at the other pillars but a loud crack sounded. Hitsugaya turned and saw a web of cracks starting to form on the mound of ice encasing the Hollows and the pillar base. The captain scowled.

His Zanpakuto's ice abilities are the strongest in all of Soul Society. For someone to be able to do this, they must be very powerful.

"Be on your guard!" Hitsugaya barked to his lieutenant and the others "its not over yet!" The moment the words left his mouth, the ice exploded with a thunderous crash. Hitsugaya and the others shielded themselves from the shower of glittering fragments.

A deafening roar sounded and Hitsugaya, Rangiku and the other Shinigami watched in horror as a new wave of Hollows surged forth from the pillar. What horrified the assembled Shinigami was the sight of the Hollows. They looked, in a word, different. Their bodies were twisted, mangled and mutated in comparison to the previous wave. Hitsugaya's eyes darted from Hollow to Hollow.

Some masks were cracked; some were missing pieces, while a majority of them looked like melted wax that had been reshaped into various disturbing shapes.

Some Hollows had an abundance of limbs while others had none. One after the other the Hollows limped, crawled, and lurched forth, screaming and gnashing their teeth. Eyes glowed a hellish red and their skins were a matching sickly green. Everything about this scene unsettled the Shinigami but they quickly shook off their daze and engaged the Hollows when the horde of monsters charged, howling madly for blood.

* * *

At the pillar furthest from where Hitsugaya and the others were just engaging the fresh horde of bloodthirsty mutant Hollows, third seat officer Ikkaku Madarame, and fifth seat officer, Yumichika Ayasegawa, were attempting to cut a swath through their own wave of howling monsters.

Ikkaku slammed the pommel of his sword together with its sheath, shouting its command phrase and merged them to form its Shikai; a Kikuchi spear with a wax wood shaft, complete with a red horsehair tassel on the pommel.

Yumichika did likewise. He ran his hand along the length of the blade. As he did so, the blade turned white and became a sickle-shaped blade, which split into four identical and evenly spaced blades. Together, Ikkaku and Yumichika renewed their efforts, cutting and piercing the wall of gnashing teeth and lunging limbs at much more efficiently than before.

Despite this second wind, their progress was still relatively slow and arduous. All around them, their comrades struggled to hold the line. With every mutant Hollow slain, two new ones took their place. If these were ordinary Hollows, Ikkaku felt that they wouldn't be having this many problems. However, once these disturbingly deformed monsters showed up, the Shinigami were having trouble.

Aside from their frightening forms, this wave of Hollows was noticeably stronger and unpredictable. One man had difficulty landing a blow on one. It moved with astonishing speed and Ikkaku noticed that one of the man's strikes hit but it didn't have any affect on the monster. There wasn't even a visible scratch on the thing.

Another Shinigami had cut down a Hollow with dozens of mouths and tendrils but was soon overwhelmed by a pack of identical dog-sized creatures that seemed to rapidly multiply. Each member of the pack took a bite of the downed man.

Ikkaku and another Shinigami came to his aid and killed the pack as Yumichika pulled the injured man toward the back.

"There's too many of them!" a Shinigami near Ikkaku cried.

The bald Shinigami growled, "Keep fighting! Don't give these bastards an inch!"

"We are Squad 11!" Yumichika declared "The greatest squad in all of Soul Society! Are we going to allow ourselves to be defeated by a bunch of Hollows? Do you want to face our captain, beaten and disgraced?"

"No!" the assembled Shinigami roared back. The assembled Squad 11 members fell in beside Ikkaku and redoubled their efforts, motivated by their pride in their squad and by the terrible thought of what Captain Zaraki would do to them if he learned of their failure. Fighting together in a wall, the Shinigami managed to push the Hollows together and forced them back.

Slowly but surely, Ikkaku, Yumichika and the sizable force they led managed to make significant progress toward one of the pillars.

As they fought on, a horn had sounded. The sound was deep and loud, like rumbling thunder. The sound echoed through the night and the mutant hollows immediately stopped. The twisted, snarling creatures remained still, as if entranced by the sound of the horn. Ikkaku, Yumichika and the other shinigami paused as well. They were taken by surprise by the sudden change in behavior and were also glad at the respite.

A few long moments later, the mutated Hollows turned and ran, retreating toward the pillar. A small cheer went up from the shinigami in celebration of their apparent victory, though Ikkaku and Yumichika sensed that the battle was far from over.

The Shinigami force advanced toward the pillar. As they neared the pillar, an odd sound reached Ikkaku. He raised a hand and the Shinigami force came to a halt.

"What is it?" Yumichika asked.

"Do you hear that?" Ikkaku replied softly.

Yumichika and the others paused, listening for anything out of the ordinary. Aside from the ambient sound of distant battles raging elsewhere in the Seireitei, the Shinigami of Squad Eleven could hear a rhythmic clanking of metal. _Click, Clank, Click, Clank_. The sounds grew louder and closer.

Ahead of them, Ikkaku and the others watched with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension as a column of armored warriors approached.

Marching toward the Shinigami was a force of formidable looking Hollows. At a glance, they had the sickly green hue of the snarling mutants from earlier. However, upon further inspection, Ikkaku and Yumichika noticed that these Hollows were a far cry different than the rest of the abnormal creatures.

These Hollows were large and had a more human shape. They all wore armor, though it was of a rather crude and aged quality. Complete with dented, rusting breastplates, gauntlets, and half-helms, the new Hollows looked like a more orderly and formidable force. Ordered in a row seven across and in a line at least, Ikkaku estimated, twenty deep, the Hollows marched in lockstep, grim faced and determined.

Most of them carried large wooden cudgels but some carried swords. Yumichika spied some archers marching behind the first dozen rows, which bore round, heavy wooden shields.

Leading the march was a big Hollow that easily equaled Captain Komamura in size. This Hollow wielded a rusty old sword with saw like teeth and wore a tattered red cape that was fastened together by a black iron clasp, possibly denoting rank. The giant's eyes glowed bloody red and his mask only covered half of his face, leaving the mouth exposed. The mask resembled a broken human skull.

Ikkaku gripped his spear tightly, feeling a mixture of excitement and discomfort. Something was completely wrong about this whole thing. Glowing pillars of light, followed by deformed Hollows and now humanoid Hollows, organized like an army and clad in crude armor. Does this have something to do with Aizen? No, it can't be. None of this seemed to be Aizen's style. In comparison to his army of Arrancar, this invasion force was crude and mismatched.

As the Hollows neared, the first rank of Hollows bearing shields hefted their shields and formed a protective wall. Behind the shield wall, ranks of hollows drew their bows and nocked arrows. The giant Hollow lifted his hand to give the order to fire but Ikkaku shouted at them.

"So, you're the ones causing all this trouble?" he said, sounding rather annoyed.

"Rather impressive" Yumichika said almost sarcastically "For a bunch of filthy Hollows. To have made it this far into the Seireitei is quite the feat."

The Hollow commander's chest seemed to puff up a little, not really detecting the sarcasm nor Yumichika's use of the word 'filthy.'

"However" Yumichika continued, "this little invasion is rather…half-baked, don't you think?" He turned to Ikkaku.

Ikkaku smiled "Yeah. I mean you almost caught us by surprise, if it weren't for the big glowing pillars. Sure you're causing some injuries and damage, but you're really out of your element. Those weapons? That armor? Pathetic. Maybe you should be more sneaky next time"

"Or get some real weapons" Yumichika chimed, gesturing to their cudgels "and perhaps actually having some strong fighters"

"Yeah, maybe then we'll consider you an actual threat."

Their comments seemed to register with the giant Hollow this time. Instead of getting angry, however, the armored Hollow grinned.

"Who said anything about surprise?" the giant said, his voice deep and rumbling like an avalanche, but strangely carried an elegant accent that didn't match. "Besides, where's the fun in being sneaky? I want you to be aware of what's going on! I want to witness the terror in your eyes as I tear you little lambs apart with my own hands! I want to hear you scream in anguish! At this moment, our forces are overwhelming your pitiful defenses."

Ikkaku and Yumichika were rather surprised by the commander's reply and his voice. While he was right in that the Hollows were indeed causing some serious damage, however, the Shinigami were far from being conquered.

Ikkaku stepped forward and brandished his spear "I am the third seat of Squad Eleven, Ikkaku Madarame. I would like to know the name of the Hollow with the massive ego who I am about to turn into a corpse. That is, if you even have a name."

The Hollow's grin widened and pounded his armored chest once with a meaty fist. "I am Gor, Commander of Battalion Five of His Majesty's Vanguard Strike Force. Tonight, I shall gorge myself upon your broken body and shall add your strength to my own." He waved a hand and the Hollow shield wall retreated several steps, granting him more space. Yumichika stepped away from Ikkaku and told the other Shinigami to pull back, giving Ikkaku enough room.

The two sides watched as the giant Hollow and Ikkaku circled each other. After what seemed like forever, the two stopped. They glared intensely at each other and then attacked.

* * *

Rukia and Renji continued to gave chase to the clown Quince. Hopping from wall to wall, rooftop to rooftop, the jester proving to be quite elusive to their attacks. Renji and Rukia resorted to their shikai and hado in order to get him. However, each binding spell from Rukia or swing from Zabimaru, the clown evaded with the grace of a feather on the wind.

The clown landed by tuck and rolling across a rooftop and acrobatically vaulted over the edge. Rukia, tired and frustrated, had a thought and told Renji to wait.

"What? Why?" Renji asked, "We can't let him get away!"

"I know, but something doesn't seem right" Rukia explained, "He's not fighting back. He's had every opportunity to do so but he hasn't."

"Well, maybe he's weak or a total coward" Renji reasoned.

"Yes but why send a totally weak and cowardly fighter into battle?"

"I don't know. You could be right, something about all this stinks."

The two resumed their pursuit of the clown but the trail had gone cold. The clown was nowhere to be seen. Rukia and Renji tried searching for any peculiar spiritual energy but the immediate area was devoid of anything. Beyond their immediate area, neither of the two could get a clear picture of who was where. A dull but powerful wave of energy radiated from the pillars, which seemed to mask the presence of friend and foe.

The two Shinigami took a moment to get their bearings. Sokyoku Hill and the Senzaikyu loomed in the distance and they currently were the furthest from any of the light pillars and any battle.

Rukia frowned. She could've sworn that they were further away from Sokyoku Hill and the Senzaikyu than this. Regardless, the two lieutenants kept moving forward.

Everything was oddly peaceful and quiet. A thin sheet of smoke glided on the wind overhead, blotting out the stars. As they moving toward the looming white towers of the Senzaikyu, where Rukia had been a prisoner not too long ago, the two lieutenants grew more worried over how eerily quiet it was. They had passed through a few different wards and courtyards and found them deserted. Some of the more critical areas of the Seireitei were also close by and yet there didn't seem to be any sign of activity.

Rukia came to an immediate halt as she collided with a powerful feeling of cold and dread. The lieutenant of Squad 13 felt as if she had just been dumped into a lake in the middle of winter and that there was something awful and horrifying lurking within its depths.

"Rukia?" Renji said, concerned. His voice sounded far away but Rukia shook her head and focused on Renji. "What's wrong?"

"I-I just got a feeling"

"Again?"

Rukia nodded "Yeah, only it feels worse this time" "Worse?" She nodded again.

Her eyes drifted over to the Senzaikyu and Sokyoku Hill and gasped. Renji looked and he blinked in astonishment. The distant structure looked further away than when the first started.

"What the hell?" Renji murmured.

Rukia rubbed her eyes and looked again, sure enough, the white tower and the rocky cliff connected to it appeared to be very far away.

"Should we keep going?" Renji asked, looking at Rukia.

"Yeah" Rukia answered firmly "Whatever is going on probably has some connection to this weird feeling I keep getting."

The two proceeded cautiously. The further they went, the worse that cold and dreadful feeling grew. Taking a left turn, the feeling lessened slightly but noticeably. The two doubled back, following the growing cold and dread welling up in Rukia's heart. Something within Rukia's mind told her to go the other way, run, hide. But she couldn't run.

It was too much of a coincidence that she got this odd feeling twice and it was stranger that it was only getting stronger as they moved northeast, slightly to the side of Sokyoku Hill and the Senzaikyu. This had to be part of the attack somehow they were get to the bottom of this.

Renji visibly shivered and gave Rukia a look. "You feel it too?" Rukia asked, quirking an eyebrow.

He nodded "Yeah. I couldn't feel it before, but why now?" She didn't answer. This night was just getting weirder and weirder.

The two lieutenants reached the end of their path and froze. The feeling of cold and fear was strongest here. It took considerable willpower to remain where they were. Beads of sweat trickled down their faces. Unfortunately, what they saw chewed away at their already wavering resolve.

Before them was one of the many different wards within the Seireitei. This ward was small and at the other end was another corridor leading elsewhere. It looked completely normal, though what gave Rukia and Renji pause were the bodies. Littering the ward was a mixture of Shinigami and Hollow corpses, though there were more Hollows than reapers. The Hollows had twisted and mangled forms, though those were clearly not the result of battle.

Rukia felt her skin crawl at the sight of the dead creatures. Emerald skin, lifeless eyes, faces frozen in twisted anguish poking out from behind masks of melted horror. Were they Arrancar? If so, was this Aizen's doing? Rukia doubted it. None of this felt like Aizen's doing. Besides, Aizen was bound and locked away, his Arrancar allies were gone and his plans were all disrupted.

A soft sinister voice hissed in the back of Rukia's mind, '_Were they really though?'_ the lieutenant of Squad 13 ignored the voice and focused on her surroundings.

Rukia noticed an open pair of gates ahead to her left and sitting in front of it were two oddly dressed figures. One looked ragged, dirty and rough, while the other looked clean, regal and prim. The ragged one looked like a cowboy from a Western movie that Rukia saw once when she was in the world of the living, only this man was in a worse state.

The man was dressed in a long dark grey coat, a white cotton shirt, a grey ten-gallon hat, grey pants and boots that have seen better days. Around his waist was an old leather belt with holsters. A red cloth with permanent dark splotches covered most of his face, save for his ruby red eyes.

The other man looked like he stepped out an old European painting. The man was young and beautiful. His skin was flawless marble. His face devoid of blemish, complete with emerald eyes and thin lips. Cascading past his shoulders were flowing black hair that curled like ocean waves. He was clad in light blue frock coat and pantaloons, complete with white stockings and soft leather shoes. Around his neck was a cravat and strangely, Rukia noticed a dark stain where his heart was located on both his shirt and coat.

Hovering above the two contrasting men was a dark orb of blazing purple light. It looked like a ball of fire but Rukia could feel only cold radiating from its flames.

The two men didn't appear to notice the two lieutenants. The cowboy was silently cleaning his night black revolver with a rag, while his prim friend was reading from a pocket-sized book. The two approached the strange men, carefully stepping over the bodies of their fallen comrades and enemies.

When close, the cowboy looked up at them, regarded them coldly and returned to his work.

"Did you do this?" Renji demanded gesturing to the bodies scattered around them.

The cowboy, not looking up from his gun, grunted something, his voice a raspy growl. Rukia and Renji didn't understand what he said. Renji asked again and the cowboy responded in the same growl, though this time Rukia could make out some words. She recognized the words as English, which she remembered learning about during her time in Karakura High School. Unfortunately, her English was very rusty, mostly due to the fact that she was busy fighting Hollows, trying to return to Soul Society and almost being executed.

"Forgive him," the noble looking man said, not looking up from his book. His voice was soft and airy like that of a bored noble who just couldn't be bothered with anything. "He doesn't understand nor speak your language," the man turned a page in his book "He's also a not very sociable man, even with friends. I, on the other hand, don't mind making polite conversation. Gives me the chance to hone my abilities with this marvelous language."

"Ok, then I'll ask again" Renji said, growing angry at the man's indifference "Did you do this?"

The man shook his head "No. As my companion was trying to explain, we found these pour chaps lying here. We had nothing to do with their deaths, well except for that one" he pointed a slender finger at a man lying slumped up against the far wall of the ward.

Renji glared at the dark haired man, anger bubbling up within him, slowly burning away the cold and dread.

"He was in the way," the nobleman said with a small shrug, still not looking up from his book "I would've spared him but he made a rather rude comment that I simply could not ignore."

Renji's hand tightened around Zanpakuto. The man looked up from his book, a thin eyebrow rose in interest. The cowboy had stopped polishing his gun, his blood red eyes zeroed in on Renji.

"Who the hell are you people?" Rukia asked, fighting the unrelenting dread washing over her "And what is that thing?" She pointed at the blazing purple orb.

"That?" said the nobleman, sounding genuinely pleased to change topics "Intriguing isn't it? I don't remember what it's called." He glanced at his companion and asked him something in English. The cowboy grunted and the nobleman nodded, as if remembering.

"We don't remember what it's called" the nobleman explained "but my companion said that it is a Blessing of sorts."

_A blessing?_ Rukia questioned in her mind. What kind of a blessing is a ball of evil looking flames that spits out fear and cold?

"As to our identities" the nobleman continued, rising to his feet. He gave a slight bow "I am Sir Alastair Montcroix! Once I had been a dashing and powerful Marquis who lived a life of luxury and debauchery. But now, I am a knight of His Majesty's Phantom Guard." A wistful sigh escaped the man's thin lips He gestured to the cowboy, who looked rather annoyed by the nobleman's theatrics. "This is my companion, my brother in the arms, Sir Samuel Callahan"

Alastair leaned toward the two lieutenants and lowered his voice to a whisper "Though, between the three of us, I'm not sure why he was knighted. He's a rather coarse character." The cowboy snarled at the noble, who waved a dismissive hand at him.

Rukia and Renji stared at the two in confusion. Knights? Phantom Guard? Who was this 'His Majesty' person? Renji frowned at Alastair.

"Ok" the red haired Shinigami said slowly, not really sure what to make of what the former Marquis was telling them but was still suspicious. "You don't happen to know a clown named Quince, do you?"

"Yes, we know him. I cannot stand that buffoon's antics," the nobleman said with a shrug "but he is His Majesty's oldest friend and there's not much I can say against him. After all, he is quite useful distracting people, though in this case he failed his job miserably!" Alastair raised his voice to a shout.

"Ooh pooh," a nasally voice complained childishly "Its not my fault! I mean, what did you expect to happen? I'm very good at games and they could barely keep up." The clown in question appeared atop the wall behind Alastair, right beside the open gate.

The clown waved at the two Shinigami "Hello! Sorry for disappearing on you, I got a little turned around and got lost." He glared at the blazing purple orb and his voice lowered to a deep, angry snarl "Not my fault that that blasted thing was tampering with perceptions of distance and directions."

Alastair rubbed his temples slowly and let out a sigh of annoyance. "Yes, I know" grumbled the nobleman "However, you were given a simple task and you failed. Now I have to clean up your mess, again, otherwise we are all in deep trouble."

Quince stuck his tongue out at the noble. Alastair whipped around and hurled a dagger at the clown, which embedded itself on a portion of wall near his groin. The clown jumped, squealing with terror. "You could've hit me!"

Alastair ignored him and turned toward the two Shinigami standing before him.

"I'm so sorry about that" the nobleman apologized "He really is just a petulant child at heart"

"Party pooper!" Quince squeaked, shaking a fist.

"Anyway, down to business." Alastair brushed aside his coat, revealing a rapier in its scabbard at his hip. The sword had a beautiful silver rose on the pommel. "Now that you know who we are" the nobleman explained, "I'm afraid that I can't let you live."

Rukia and Renji were taken aback at how drastically and how quickly the conversation changed, from polite conversation to talking about killing. Alastair was perhaps a stranger person than both the clown and the cowboy.

"However, I am a gentleman" he continued "and I want this to be fair. We can fight one at a time or two on one. You can choose either, it really doesn't matter to me."

Rukia and Renji stared at the man for a moment, not really sure if he was sincere or not but complied. They chose to fight two on one and the pale nobleman accepted it with a nod. The two Shinigami gave Alastair some space, as he drew his blade. The blade was skinny and, interestingly, pale green.

It captured and reflected what little starlight there was in the sky.

He swung his blade a few times, testing out his swing. The blade swished softly. When he was done, Alastair assumed a fighting stance, his blade at the ready while his free hand was behind his back.

Rukia and Renji brandished their weapons. Both still felt cold and jittery but they focused on the task at hand, trying everything they can to overpower these corrosive feelings.

"Before we begin" Alastair piped up, interrupting their thoughts "I would like to know your names. It's a sort of tradition you know; warriors engaged in combat should know the name of their enemy. Makes it all more personal and meaningful."

"I am the lieutenant of Squad 6, Renji Abarai" Renji said.

"I am the lieutenant of Squad 13, Rukia Kuchiki" Rukia said.

As soon as her name left her lips, Rukia saw a sudden change overcome the three strange beings in front of her. Samuel and Alastair changed only slightly. The grey gunslinger's red gaze focused on her and seemed to intensify, while Alastair's eyebrows shot up and a look of curiosity took form on his face.

The change in Quince's expression, however, was perhaps the most visible and the more drastic. The clown's body stiffened and his wide smile evaporated in an instant. His lips trembled and a dark, stormy look began to gather on his face.

"You…" the clown said, his voice now low and gravelly "you…you-" his grip on the top of the wall tightened so much that it began to crack and his fingers began to burrow into the stone.

Rukia and Renji immediately sensed a spike in spiritual energy. It at first started cold but then transformed into an intense burning power that was drenched with rage. The clown's once smiley face twisted into a hideous expression of pure, unfettered rage and hatred. His eyes turned bloody red, his teeth became long, sharp fangs as his body trembled.

"You! You!" the clown roared, was deep and hoarse, a complete change from the high and nasally. "It was you!" he jabbed an accusatory finger at Rukia "After all these many years, you still live!" He pushed off of the wall and landed with a powerful crash, causing the tiled ground to crack and shake.

"Why?" he howled, "Why did you do it? Why did you take her from us, from my lord, from her husband and from me!"

Rukia had no clue what he was talking about and thought him insane or putting on an act, but the intensity in his eyes and the rage she felt radiating from him in his spirit energy, were all real. The clown's head began to twitch and his skin, literally, wriggled and bubbled as if it had a swarm of bugs scurrying beneath it. Quince stomped in their direction. His fingers became razor sharp claw the size of knife blades.

Rukia and Renji raised their weapons to defend themselves but a voice sounded thundered from within the opened gateway that Samuel and Alastair were guarding. "Stop!"

Quince stopped, his head, but not his body, turned all the way around until it faced the gateway behind him. Standing in the gateway were five figures. The figure in the middle was dressed in a black cloak with a hood up, shielding the wearer's face. Sewn into the breast of the cloak was an odd crest that neither Rukia nor Renji recognized: a skeletal dragon with a flaming crown floating above its head and the dragon was perched atop a green and black spiral.

Flanking the cloaked figure were two men in the black and white attire of Shinigami. Behind them was a mountain of a man with a bushy beard in a blue tunic. Beside the giant was a small, hunched over old man with a staff topped with a skull.

Renji recognized one of the two Shinigami. "Takashi?" he said, astonished "What the hell are you doing here?"

"These fine gentlemen were being gracious hosts" the cloaked figure explained, his voice was low, masculine and sounded young "They were showing me around and acquainting me with your fair realm. They were also helping me find a lost family heirloom."

From within the cloak, the figure produced what appeared to be a thick roll of parchment tied together with string.

"My liege" Quince said, his head turning back into place as he turned his body to face the cloaked figure "Allow me to strike down this filthy creature and take our revenge. Please!" he knelt and bowed his head before his master.

The cloaked figure raised a hand "Rise good Quince. Cool your temper. Now is not the time for such acts."

The clown's head snapped up in surprise "What, why? Not now, not when this wretch is standing here before us!"

The figure nodded slowly and spoke soothingly "I know my friend, I heard everything. I know too well the pain that was inflicted upon us by the one named Kuchiki. But now is not the time, let her enjoy what time she has left. Remember our plan and restrain in your fury…for now."

The clown's expression was, for a few moments, one of shock but was quickly replaced by a nasty knowing smile. He turned to Rukia and giggled madly "Okie dokie!" he began to slink away from her "Sleep well tonight Kuchiki girl, enjoy the time that you have left. We'll be seeing you round. I'm looking forward to playing with you!" The clown's body began to flicker like a mirage and soon vanished.

The hooded figure nodded to Samuel, who jumped to his feet and holstered his revolver.

Alastair sheathed his blade and made a bow toward the two lieutenants. "Adieu, my friends" Alastair said, "Until we meet again."

Rukia and Renji moved to stop them but were attacked by Takashi and the other Shinigami. The lieutenants blocked their sword strikes and tried to push them away but their opponents interfered. Rukia caught a glimpse of a pack of five large war horses rise from the ground like flowers from the soil. The horses were mostly bone but still had chunks of flesh, muscle and skin still attached. Their eyes glowed with a hellish red light and their whinnying sounded like the screeching of metal.

The cloaked figure and his followers mounted their rides and took off at full speed. The blazing orb of purple light shrunk and faded into nothing. Warmth and resolve came surging back to Rukia, who gritted her teeth and knocked her opponent back. Before he could recover, she bound him with a Hado spell.

Renji did the same with Takashi and the two took off in pursuit of the cloaked figure and his companions.

* * *

The five horsemen galloped through Soul Society at an unnatural speed. Even with flash step, Rukia and Renji had difficulty keeping up with them. They weaved through the various corridors and paths within the Seireitei until they emerged in a spacious clearing at the base of one of the pillar.

Rukia and Renji attempted to pursue the riders into the area but were forced back by a hail of arrows. A number of the arrows were ordinary arrows. They planted themselves into the ground and walls around Renji and Rukia, though some of them seemed to burst into green flames on impact. The lieutenants ducked behind a wall while more arrows rained down upon them.

The riders came to a halt at the pillars and dismounted. The two shinigami could only watch as the cloaked man enter the pillar of light and vanish. The giant man with the bushy beard and the little old man followed suit. Alastair sauntered into the pillar but Samuel paused. He reached into his long, flowing coat and pulled out an ivory horn. He slipped the mouthpiece underneath the red cloth on his face and blew.

A deep, rumbling sound thundered forth, echoing through the night. When Samuel finished, he returned the horn to his coat and stepped into the green light. Not long after, the sounds of animalistic roars, the clanking of armor and the thunderous rumble of footprints filled the air.

Rukia and Renji saw a wave of Hollows charging toward them from behind.

The two made ready to fight them off but the creatures pushed past them, completely ignoring them. The two Shinigami were confused. Since when did Hollows start ignoring Shinigami or pass up the perfect opportunity to overwhelm and slaughter them? The two were thrown aside by the stampede of Hollows.

Renji got up and tried to get in front of one but the Hollow went right through him. The red haired shinigami was stunned. How did it go right through him? There's no way Hollows can do that. The stampede of Hollows converged on the light pillar, disappearing into its emerald depths.

At the other three pillars, the same thing occurred. Stampeding Hollows retreating toward the pillars. They raced toward the light like rats on a sinking ship. When the last of the Hollows vanished into the emerald light, Renji jumped out from behind their hiding spot.

"Come on!" Renji said to Rukia "We can't let them get away!"

Before she could say anything, Renji took off running. Rukia jumped up and chased after him.

As she got closer to the light, Rukia noticed a figure standing in front of it. She could only make out a silhouette but Renji, who was closer, saw that the figure was Quince, holding a detonator of sorts. The clown pressed the button on the detonator and waved a hand at the red haired lieutenant.

"Goodbye!" Quince announced in a singsong voice then back flipped into the light pillar. In an instant the four blazing pillars of light vanished, plunging the Seireitei into darkness and silence. The holes in the protective dome above resealed themselves.

Renji skidded to a halt and cursed that he failed to catch the clown. It was probably for the best though. Who knows where the pillars would've led or what would've happened to him if he went through. He probably would've died. The red haired lieutenant frowned and wondered why he was acting so reckless. This wasn't how he typically acted.

But it was how Ichigo acted. Jump first and look later. That was how it was with him, at least in the beginning. Renji smiled a little and wondered what would the orange haired substitute Shinigami have done if he were here.

Rukia caught up to Renji and saw on the ground where the pillar once was, a symbol blazed into the tiled ground. It looked old, archaic and definitely not the work of anyone from Soul Society. She thought of what the cloaked man said. Something about plans and having little time left. A soft but creeping feeling of dread settled in Rukia's heart. This was only the beginning, of what she didn't know.

A soft beeping interrupted the silence around the two lieutenants. The two looked about in search of the source. More beeping sounded, coming from close by, another from further away. The still air was filled with the chorus of electronic beeping like a bunch of crickets on a hot summer night.

Renji looked about in search of the source of the beeping until his eyes landed on a small, blinking dot of red light.

_What the?_ Renji thought. After a few seconds, it all clicked in the red haired lieutenant's mind. The hairs on the back of his neck jumped to attention. It all made sense: Beeping, red lights and Quince with a detonator.

"Look out!" Renji cried as he grabbed his friend and as the dark and battle worn night was filled with a crashing cacophony of explosions and emerald flames.

* * *

**(a/n: what do you think? Sorry it took so long. I was trying to plot out how this will go, which I didn't really do for the older version. I expanded on some things and added some new stuff. Hope you like it. Next chapter will be up soon, when I can't say for certain. It will be up under a year, I promise you that.)**


	2. Old Ghosts

**(a/n: Here we go, next chapter. Its kind of like chapter 1 from the original but with some new stuff and changes. Pretty dialog heavy here and pretty short. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!)**

* * *

Ch.2: Old Ghosts

A mixture of voices and other sounds started to reach her.

Rukia's eyes fluttered open. The world was out of focus and swam in a sea of light. It took a few moments for everything to come into focus. When her vision settled and became clearer, Rukia discovered that she was lying in bed. Looking about her, the lieutenant of Squad 13 saw that she was in the infirmary of Squad 4's barracks.

She sat up slowly, dull aches protested all across her body. Her mouth was dry and her head throbbed.

Lining the wall opposite of her was a long row of beds, all occupied. More occupied beds flanked Rukia's own and stretched on until they reached the opposite ends of the spacious infirmary.

The state of the infirmary's occupants varied, some had only cuts and bruises. Meanwhile others looked more serious, with patients completely wrapped up in bandages and were hooked up to an assortment of machines. Some moaning arose here and there in the infirmary. Warm sunlight poured into the room via an open window across from Rukia. A soft breeze flowed in, carrying an odd combined smell of ash and citrus.

Rukia was unsure how she got there and why. She tried piecing together what she remembered. She was on her way to back to the barracks and then she talked with Renji. It all started coming back to Rukia: the pillars of emerald light, the Hollows, Alastair and Samuel, the clown and the explosion.

"Renji" Rukia murmured. She suddenly remembered Renji shouting her name, grabbing her arm and everything consumed by blinding green light.

"Ah, you're awake!" said a voice. Rukia blinked, noticing Captain Retsu Unohana, at the foot of her bed.

"Looks like you're recovering quite well," the captain said, a relieved smile spreading on her tired face.

"W-what happened? How did I get here? Where's Renji?" The head of the medical corps held up a hand in order to halt Rukia's flood of questions.

"You were caught in one of the explosions that went off after those glowing pillars disappeared" Captain Unohana explained, "You were lucky that Renji was there and had acted so quickly, otherwise the two of you would be in a much worse state. I can't say the same for others" her gaze drifted toward some of the more critically injured in the ward "even with my Zanpakuto's Shikai, it's still difficult to say if they'll pull through."

Rukia silently thanked Renji for saving both of their lives and felt sympathetic for the other injured Shinigami in the ward.

"And to answer your questions" the captain continued, "I'll leave that to your visitor."

Captain Unohana bid her goodbye and moved on to tend to the other wounded. A little after the captain left, Renji entered the ward. Renji looked well, though his arms and neck were bandaged up, exhaustion was clear on his face.

Rukia was glad to see him but then she though of her brother. She knew that her brother was a very powerful captain and a capable fighter. However, the abruptness of the invasion and memories of Quince and the fury and hatred she felt radiating from him in his spirit energy when he learned of her identity. A shiver ran down her spine. It made her worry just enough.

"Good to see that you're awake" Renji said with a relieved smile.

"How long have I been out?" Rukia asked.

"Few days. I just woke up yesterday. We both got caught by the explosion, knocked us right out. Only sustained minor burns. The others…" he trailed off and glanced at a nearby bedridden Shinigami, completely mummified in bandages, tubes and wires.

"But where did the explosions come from?" Rukia wondered aloud "I remember seeing Quince with a detonator"

"Apparently those mad Hollows, the dead ones, were rigged to explode" her friend answered stiffly, sitting down at the edge of her bed "Those explosions burned away all of the Hollow remains, though Captain Kurotsuchi was able to deduce what had happened thanks to surveillance footage and eye witness accounts."

Rukia frowned. Hollows usually disintegrate after being slain. The fact that the bodies remained after death only added more questions.

"Those Hollows were unlike any Hollow that I've ever seen" Renji remarked "They looked really freaky and apparently a number of them had these weird abilities."

"Abilities?" Rukia blinked.

The red haired lieutenant nodded "Yeah, reports are coming from all over about how some of the Hollows had strange abilities. Ikkaku swore he saw one multiply and another guy claimed that no matter how many times he hit one with his Zanpakuto, it didn't appear to have any effect."

"That is strange" Rukia murmured.

After some catching up, Renji departed. Renji still had to rest up and he promised that he would drop in later on with some food for her.

* * *

The next morning, Rukia and Renji were released from the infirmary and back into active duty. Those who needed beds immediately took their places. Though they still felt a little weak, the two lieutenants felt a hundred percent.

The two lieutenants decided to check in with their squads and see if there was anything they could do but as they departed Squad 4's barracks, a black butterfly landed on Rukia's shoulder. It conveyed an order for all captains to gather together in the Captain's Assembly Hall and that Rukia and Renji were to report to the meeting as well.

Normally, lieutenants and captains had their own separate meetings in separate locations but according to the message that was sent out, this was a special emergency meeting and that the two lieutenants were ordered to be there to answer some questions.

On the way there, Renji guessed that it might have something to do with their encounter with Quince, Alastair and their cloaked leader. He explained that Rukia's brother, Renji's captain, was there when he woke up and asked about what happened.

Rukia heart thumped heavily in her chest. This meeting was going to be interesting.

* * *

When Rukia and Renji arrived at the assembly hall, they found that almost everyone else was there waiting for it to begin. The captains took their places, standing in two lines opposite from each other.

Rukia noticed that some of the new captains were in attendance. She saw the silver haired Kensei Muguruma, a Visored who had once been a captain long ago. He had just recently been reinstated to his old position as captain of Squad 9, now that Kaname Tosen is no more.

He wasn't alone. Rukia recognized other Visoreds who had returned to their old positions, which happened to be positions left by Azien and his compatriots. Shinji Hirako was now filling in as captain of Squad 5 with Momo as his lieutenant and Rojuro Otoribashi, acting as captain of Squad 3, taking Gin's place.

All eyes landed on Rukia and Renji when they entered the room. Everyone in the room looked tired, as if they had been up for days without rest.

Nobody said a word to the two as they shuffled into the room, awkwardly trying to find where they were supposed to stand. They ended up standing behind their respective captains. Byakuya acknowledged Rukia with a look. A tense and brooding silence hung over them like a dark cloud.

After a long stretch of silence, the Head Captain arrived.

Genryusai Shigekuni Yammamoto, the Head Captain of the Gotei 13 and captain of Squad 1. The man had served as the leader of the Gotei 13 for a thousand years due to his skill, experience and unparalleled strength. One wouldn't know that he was perhaps the strongest Shinigami in the history of Soul Society just by looking at him. He certainly looked like the oldest, with his long white beard and eyebrows.

Hunch over with age, the elderly man strode in to the room, the wooden staff in his hand tapped against wooden floor lightly. The long, perpendicular scars above his right eye and the air around him, however, attested that the Head-Captain was more than he appeared.

The Head Captain took his place at the end of the room and tapped the floor with his staff. The sound echoed through the hall.

"Now that we are all gathered," the aged man pronounced, his voice echoed through the silence "Let us begin."

The meeting started off with a discussion on what happened almost a week ago: a surprise attack by an army of Hollows. Captain Hitsugaya then discussed his encounters with a first wave of regular Hollows. He mentioned subduing them quickly and then the violent emergence of the second wave. The first wave was to soften up any defenders they could find and the second wave, the wave of snarling, bloodthirsty mutants would finish off any survivors. Several other captains joined in, giving their own accounts.

Each one was the same. These bloodthirsty mutants were much stronger and more unpredictable than the average Hollow.

Captain Zaraki added a report that he received from Ikkaku, who had engaged a column of Hollows that were organized and armed like an army, led by a Hollow who had a name and said that he served someone who he referred to as "His Majesty." That bit of information caught everyone's attention.

"Just who is this 'His Majesty' I wonder?" Shinji murmured to himself.

"What is intriguing is that this invasion force was so bold and direct" Captain Ukitake observed "From Ikkaku's report, this 'Commander Gor' creature said that they didn't want to be stealthy but rather as obvious and direct as possible, facing us head on"

"Fine by me" Kenpachi stated gruffly "Saves the bother of chasing them down and fighting in the shadows like a bunch of cowards."

"Perhaps there's a reason for that" Captain Sui-Feng chimed in "Perhaps this attack was merely a diversion."

"That's exactly what it was," Byakuya stated. All eyes turned to him.

"My lieutenant, as well as Captain Ukitake's, had an interesting encounter of their own," Byakuya said before transitioning into a retelling of what Renji's had told him earlier, including the bizarre jester Quince, the odd occurrences due to the ball of purple flames, and the "knights" Alastair Montcroix and Samuel Callahan and the rest.

Once he finished, the room was silent, as the captains considered what Byakuya had explained to them.

Eventually, the first to speak was Captain Hitsugaya "So it was all a distraction"

"Indeed" Captain Kyoraku said, scratching his chin "All this trouble to retrieve, what did this cloaked figure call it? A family heirloom?"

"What heirloom could he be talking about?" asked Ukitake "And where did this take place?"

"The events transpired at a small garden near the South Gate" Sui-Feng answered.

"A garden?" Hitsugaya said sounding perplexed.

"I didn't know that there was a garden by the South Gate" Kyoraku said with a frown.

"I believe that I've been to it a few times" Ukitake said, rubbing his chin "Its rather small and out of the way. Nothing out of the ordinary, except for a huge moss covered rock."

Sui-Feng nodded and continued, "A brief search uncovered a sizable and deep hole. Beside the hole were the remains of that strange moss-covered rock. It's a bit weathered and unrecognizable, but some of the pieces, when brought together, form an inscription-"

"_From death comes peace, from war comes harmony, from sacrifice comes progress_" the Head-Captain finished.

Everyone looked at Captain Yammamoto in surprise.

"E-exactly, Head-Captain, sir" Sui-Feng said. The Head-Captain was silent for a few moments, until he looked at Rukia.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki, could you describe the crest you saw on the intruder's cloak?"

Rukia was taken aback for a second, being addressed directly by the Head-Captain felt like you were in trouble. She quickly recovered from her surprise and answered. "It-it was a skeletal dragon with a crown of fire and it was perched on top of a spiral of green and black."

The Head-Captain said nothing. His gaze seemed to intensify on the lieutenant. "Are you absolutely positive?" the old man asked, his voice firm and his eyes narrow with scrutiny.

Rukia nodded "Without a doubt." He looked to Renji, who agreed with Rukia.

Captain Yammamoto closed his eyes and heaved a deep, disappointed sigh. He abruptly thumped the bottom his staff on the floor in anger or frustration, making everyone in the room jump.

"Head-Captain!" Ukitake exclaimed, surprised "Is something wrong?"

"It is as I feared" the old man murmured, his thoughts seem to be elsewhere.

"Head-Captain?" asked Unohana, a frown on her face.

"An old ghost has come to haunt us," Yammamoto lamented, looking directly at Unohana "We should've foreseen this…we should've known."

A look of realization dawned on Captain Unohana's face.

"No one could've foreseen this captain" Ukitake said, unaware of meaning behind the exchange of looks between the two.

The Head-Captain looked up at him. Sorrow began to surface in his wrinkled face. "No, not this time" the old man said gravely "No matter how hard we try to forget or how far we think we progress, old wounds will always be there to remind us of our mistakes and humble us."

"Mistakes?" Byakuya asked.

The Head-Captain said nothing for a moment then addressed the assembled captains and lieutenants.

"What I am about to tell you, does not leave this room" Captain Yammamoto said solemnly "The information you are about to hear remains between all those present and a select few other individuals only. If anyone were to share this sensitive information without my express permission, will be punished severely."

Everyone nodded, understanding and accepting the consequences. The Head-Captain took a deep breath and explained what he could.

"Long ago, when the Gotei 13 first began, Soul Society sought to expand its dominion and reach and test its strength. At the time, only Hueco Mundo and the Land of the Living were known and accessible to us. However, a discovery was made. A new realm was uncovered completely by accident."

Shocked looks were shared between the listening captains. Yammamoto carried on.

"This realm was very unlike Soul Society or Hueco Mundo. It was wild, chaotic and barbaric! It was a seemingly infinite void filled with infinite domains and kingdoms, populated by countless spirits, each locked into an eternal conflict. Among the countless lands and dominions within this realm was one that stood above all in might and size, one that sought to unite them: the Phantom Kingdom."

"The Phantom Kingdom was ruled by a powerful king, a spirit, named Pariah Dark, the self-proclaimed king of all ghosts. There were some initial misunderstandings but eventually Soul Society and the Phantom Kingdom eventually became friendly with one another. Unfortunately, this peaceful dialog broke down and war soon erupted between us."

The Head-Captain frowned, stroking his beard. "I cannot recall who or what started the conflict. It was a long and costly war. At first the might of our respective realms were evenly matched. Our finest captains matched the Phantom Kingdom's strongest knights, the Knights of the Abyss. But soon, the war worsened. The entirety of this realm of ghosts turned against us. Old rivals and enemies united under the dragon banner of Pariah Dark. Much blood was shed and many lives were lost."

"I've never heard of this" Ukitake said, shocked.

There were murmurs of agreement from almost all the captains, except for Unohana and Byakuya, who was pondering the astonishing information.

"None of you would've heard this" The Head-Captain said sadly "For this war is a blot on our history. I have lost many comrades and the suffering born from this conflict was beyond measure. It was to be left in the past, a bitter memory of an age long gone."

"How did this dreadful come to an end?" asked Kyoraku, seeming more attentive than normal.

"The advisors and court of the Ghost King met with the captains of the Gotei 13. A bargain was struck. There were those on both sides who felt that peace would only be achievable by total annihilation of the other. However, the meeting was mediated and the peace was enforced by the Reapers and their leader, Lord Death."

"Reapers?" Hitsugaya questioned.

Yammamoto nodded slowly "Yes. The Phantom Kingdom and the entirety of the Realm of Ghosts were, apparently, under the jurisdiction and guardianship of another group, a group very much similar in function to the Gotei 13."

"Another group?" Shinji echoed doubtfully.

"Yes, another group" the Head-Captain rumbled "This group, the Reapers, are powerful in their own right and numerous. From this exchange, we learned that around the world, there are other groups who, like us, act as guardians of the souls of the dead. Which is the reason why the Gotei 13 is restricted only to Japan."

Rukia nodded slowly. What the Head-Captain was saying was making sense. The younger Kuchiki did question in her mind about other countries and all those other souls but never really thought much deeper on the subject.

"The Reapers, as with these other groups, usually have kept to themselves" Yammamoto explained "However, the war, the Phantom War as they called it, grew so brutal and disastrous that they had no choice but to intercede. After all, the war was being waged in their territory." The Head-Captain sighed, "Eventually, a peace agreement was reached and the war was over."

There was a pause. The pause allowed the Head-Captain to retrieve such old memories and allowed the various captains to wrap their heads around this new load of information.

Before he proceeded, Hitsugaya asked. "So what does this have to do with the crest and invasion?"

"The crest was the sigil of the Ghost King" Yammamoto answered sullenly "I still remember it burned into the flesh of our comrades, those they kept alive that is. They even performed such heinous acts upon their own people, especially on those wanted nothing to do with the war."

Rukia scowled. From the sound of things, this Pariah Dark sounded like a tyrant. Then again, this war sounded like a disaster for everyone involved. No clear winner or loser, just death and misery.

"The abilities of these new Hollow sound remarkably similar to that of the Phantom Kingdom's inhabitants" Yammamoto continued on, a ponderous look formed on his face "Those abilities certainly gave us trouble. If more Hollows were to obtain these abilities, it would prove disastrous for Soul Society."

"That and those horrible green flames from the explosions" Unohana added.

The Head-Captain nodded "Ah yes, the green flames. A formidable weapon that has claimed many lives in the past and has now wounded many."

The Head-Captain looked at each of the captains and then to Rukia and Renji. He then asked a question that had been on their minds since the meeting began. "What do we do about this?"

"Its clear from lieutenant Kuchiki's account that this Phantom Guard and their leader, this Paraiah Dark, intend to do us further harm" Sui-Feng said icily "I say we find the enemy and retaliate."

The Head-Captain nodded "That is perhaps the appropriate response."

"But what about these Reapers?" Ukitake asked, "Perhaps we can ask them to intercede once more and help us stop this Ghost King."

The Head-Captain stroked his beard "We have a few times, in the past, to reach out to them in order to form an alliance but they haven't responded to each attempt. From what I can remember, the Reapers are a secretive group, very distrusting of outsiders. I highly doubt that we can count on their help."

"So what" Kenpachi said with a shrug "We can deal with this ourselves. Who needs them?"

"I admire your spirit but we must tread final days of the war were carried out in their territory. A stipulation of the peace agreement was that the Ghost King, the Reapers and we, would each keep to our own dominions. Should one step out of line and invade another's territory…"

"Then its open war" Kyoraku concluded grimly. So much for a peaceful resolution thought Rukia.

"It would seem that Captain Sui-Feng's suggestion is the only viable one," Byakuya stated.

"But where do we start?" Shinji asked, scratching the back of his neck "I mean, it's not exactly like they left a forwarding address."

"Actually…" Captain Kruotsuchi spoke up, rubbing his hands together.

Shinji frowned "You gotta be kidding me. It can't be that easy."

"Its not" the head of research and development admitted, "however, thanks to the ample amounts of residual exotic particles from explosions and those peculiar energy pillars, I was able to detect a unique energy signature that matched the materials found and those pillars."

"You were able to locate a source?" Ukitake asked, hopeful.

"Perhaps" Kurotsuchi said, "I can't say for certain if it is a source, but I was able to locate a high concentration of unique energy signatures that closely matched that of our attackers." An eerie smile unfolded on Kurotsuchi's face "It's really all quite fascinating! I have never encountered such energy signatures before."

Kurotsuchi pulled up a projection of a map on the wall behind him and showed them the location in question. "Over the past few days, I have observed the energy levels in this location. While the levels fluctuates, it steadily remains an active hotspot with spirit energy unlike anywhere else."

The captains squinted at the map. The map showed a landscape dotted with some cities and towns. It was colored and scribbled with markings indicating elevation, topography and landmarks. What stood out were the dots. Scattered about the close up map of the region were dots of varying sizes.

Clustered around a particular spot were hundreds, if not thousands, of spots, ranging from small pinpoints to abnormally large circles that dwarfed the spots indicating populated centers. Shinji and Rukia both easily recognized that the region was not anywhere in Japan and when Kurotsuchi zoomed the map out their suspicions were confirmed.

Those dots were located in America.

"We cannot go there in force" the Head-Captain stated adamantly "For that part of the world is Reaper territory."

"Maybe we don't have to go in force" Shinji thought aloud "Maybe we can send only one person to scout out the area and investigate the whereabouts of these ghost knights."

"And it will have to be someone who knows the world of the living pretty well" Hitsugaya added "Someone who could blend in and not draw attention to themselves."

Someone suggested Shinji but he was ruled out. He was a captain and had duties to attend to, as did the other Visored captains. It was suggested that Renji should go but the red haired lieutenant suggested Rukia instead.

"Why Rukia?" Ukitake asked.

"She's been in the land of the living longer than I have" Renji reasoned smoothly, "She's had more experience blending in and would be the last person anyone would suspect of being a spy. I mean, just look at her!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rukia frowned at her friend.

All eyes were on her at that moment, which made her feel very uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I can kinda see what you mean" Shinji said, smiling.

Before Rukia could retort, the Head-Captain spoke. "It is decided then. Rukia Kuchiki shall go forth and investigate this region. She shall collect as much information on anything that pertains to the Phantom Kingdom and their designs for Soul Society. In the meantime, we shall work to recover our strength and prepare ourselves for what is to come."

War, Rukia finished in her mind, that is what's coming.

* * *

The day was winding down and Rukia found herself back in Karakura Town and back in Kisuke Urahara's shop.

The blond shopkeeper looked and acted relatively the same. Still wearing his green and white striped bucket hat, Uarahara greeted Rukia with a smile and hello and told her to wait as he retrieved the items she needed for her assignment. The former captain was no longer a wanted criminal, which was good for him. He now acted as a partner in the world of the living.

As she waited in the backroom, Rukia took in the familiar sights. Nothing much changed. In fact, the shop itself looked frozen in time, specifically to the time when she was there last. She recognized certain boxes and items in certain parts of the store and noted layers of dusts forming on them, indicating how long they've sat there.

"Well, here you go" the former captain announced, entering the backroom, waving a large envelope "New year, new you!"

Rukia accepted the envelope and peered inside. Within the envelope was a new passport, a new Soul Pager/cell phone, an ID, some money, guidebooks, a bunny-headed candy dispenser containing a mod soul and a brightly colored packet she didn't recognize.

"What's this?" she asked, pulling out a small packet of bite-sized chocolates.

"Only my latest and greatest invention!" Kisuke declared proudly "I call it_ Oh Fudge!_ Since you're going to America and from what you told me about your nonexistent English skills, I made this. It's a new candy that can help you learn the language faster."

The small packet was striped red, white and blue with stars scattered about outside of the packet. Shaking it, Rukia could hear the contents shift a little.

"It's a special concoction of delicious fudge, various non-toxic chemicals, organic ingredients, enriching spirit particles and other healthy things" The former captain told her in the same tone he would use as if he were making a sales pitch "Its none fat too!"

"Will it work?"

"Y-yeah, pretty sure." He unfolded his fan and hid part of his face "I mean, you won't just wake up and suddenly speak English like a native but you'll be able to learn it quicker and understand it."

Rukia stared at the packet dubiously. With Urahara's inventions, they usually worked but there were also those that failed spectacularly or had some kind of side effect. Besides, the supposed effects of the chocolate sounded a little too good to be true.

"I know, they sound too good to be true" Kisuke said, reading the doubt on Rukia's face "But trust me, these will help. Just have some chocolate and study while on the plane, it'll really help. Besides, a buddy of mine helped me with this one. He knows a lot about chocolate. In fact, he lives in the town you're heading to: Amity Park. When you get there, look him up and tell him I said hi."

Rukia cocked an eyebrow "Really?"

"Of course!" Kiskue said sincerely "Seriously, this guy is pretty cool and trustworthy. Well, maybe not as cool as me. But if you need help with all this ghost stuff, he can help you out. He's been in that town for years and him and his friend both know a lot about ghosts."

A smile grew on Kiskue's face "In fact, they helped me set you up as an exchange student. It's the perfect cover!"

Rukia sighed. Going to school again. Not exactly what she wanted but it should be helpful in keeper hidden from unwanted eyes.

"But in all seriousness" Kiskue's expression became serious "This is going to be dangerous. You'll be going behind enemy lines and you'll practically be on your own. That new Soul Pager should be able to reach us and not be detectable but we don't know what these Reaper guys are like or what they're capable of. So remember, tread carefully."

Rukia felt butterflies in her stomach. She's never really been to another country before or spoke another language. This whole experience was new and rather frightening. Yet, there was a part of her that was also excited.

"You'll do great" Kiskue said adjusting his bucket hat "Besides, from what I heard, Amity Park is a truly interesting place. Never really a dull moment."

* * *

**(a/n: What do you think? Let me know! I'm still working on this story, don't worry. The next one won't be up as fast, but it won't be two or three years.)**


	3. Thrice Welcome

**(a/n: Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review!)**

* * *

Ch.3: Thrice Welcome

After what had seemed like forever, Rukia had finally reached her destination.

The car had come to a stop in front of a rather strange building. It was a two-story building of redbrick, which didn't seem unusual.

However, when Rukia looked up, she saw a large metal structure built on top of the building's roof. The metal structure reminded Rukia of an alien spaceship, with its smooth metal walls and its round shape. Scattered about the surface of the structure were all sorts of antennas, satellite dishes and other gadgets.

At first the Shinigami lieutenant thought that she had been brought to the wrong address, however this notion was immediately dispelled when she saw the large sign on the side of the building saying "Fenton Works" in green neon. This was definitely the place.

Although she had been traveling for the better part of a day, Rukia was already missing home. She felt alone in this country, far away from everything familiar.

Although there weren't any familiar faces, there wasn't a lack of friendly or pleasant ones. There were some nice people she had met on the way to America.

She left Karakura Town with Urahara and Yoruichi. The two waved her goodbye at the airport and wished her luck.

The first flight was uneventful. Rukia half expected to encounter trouble but was slightly relieved by the long and boring flight. To stave off boredom, and alleviate her anxiety, the lieutenant poured over the language books Urahara had given her. She chewed on one of the bite-sized cubes of fudge that was supposed to help her learn the language.

The fudge cube was rather dry but still very sweet. Surprisingly, the candy did help. At her first stop in California, Rukia could read and understand a lot of the signs in the airport. She was also able to hold a brief conversation with a lady working at the gate of her next flight.

During the last flight, Rukia continued to eat candy and study, though she soon stopped midway through the flight. The fudge started to make her feel nauseous and a dull throbbing started in the back of her head. A few hours later, the plane landed in Chicago and the throbbing in her head had subsided.

Through the busy airport, Rukia retrieved her bags and went outside.

Urahara had slipped in some instructions into the packet he gave to her. They helped her through all the steps required to check in at the airport, what to do and what not to do. The instructions also told her where to go at each of the stops. It was helpful, since the lieutenant never been on a plane before, let alone leave Karakura Town. Scanning the instructions list, Rukia saw that a ride was arranged for her to take her the rest of the way to Amity Park.

Outside, various vehicles stopped or passed the long curb. It didn't take long for the Shinigami lieutenant to find her ride.

A tall lanky man with ginger hair was standing next to a beat up old yellow taxicab. He was holding up a handmade sign with her name on it, written in perfect Japanese. He looked older than Byakuya by a few years due to the stubble on his chin and the lines on his face. However, unlike Byakuya, the man seemed more open with his emotions, more forward. When he saw Rukia, the man's blue eyes lit up and he waved her over. The man wore a green jacket over a grey shirt with a faded logo that belonged to a rock band she never heard of, and tattered old jeans.

When she got closer, Rukia blinked a few times at the powerful aroma of peppermint tinged with nicotine, emanating from the man.

"There you are!" the ginger man greeted her cheerfully, "Thought you might've gotten lost or that I was at the wrong airport."

She bowed respectfully and introduced herself. The man returned the bow and followed it up with a handshake.

"Martin Hill," the taxi drive said with a warm smile. "Welcome to America, Miss Kuchiki. I'll be your driver and your guide." As he helped her load her bags into the back of the cab, Rukia used her Reikaku, or spiritual sense, to sense whether Martin had any Reiatsu, or spiritual pressure. The lieutenant didn't pick up anything out of the ordinary coming from the ginger man. She expanded her senses and didn't discover anything else that might be peculiar.

With her luggage loaded into the cab, Rukia crawled into the back seat. It was a little cramp, the seat was made of worn leather and the floor had discarded food wrappers from a place called Nasty Burger.

"Sorry about the mess," the cabbie apologized, as he slid into the driver's seat. "Didn't have much time to clean up. Had to come right over to the airport after finishing up with another passenger."

"It's no problem at all" Rukia said with a small smile. Internally, the lieutenant hoped that her destination wasn't too far away. The inside of the cab smelled like old leather and ashes. It was also uncomfortably warm, which caused Rukia to sweat a little, which in turn made her stick to the leather of the seat if she sat perfectly still for too long.

Martin started up the car and they left the airport soon after. The sprawling and active city slowly gave way to flat, open landscape.

Rukia rolled down the window, letting some air into the musty cab.

The last dregs of summer were leaving. Some scattered trees and fields had already begun their transformation, slowly losing their color and foliage. The cab passed by scattered houses, farms and small towns with names like Cloverdale and Lincoln.

During the lengthy and uneventful drive, Martin talked. The cab driver rambled on a bit about some interesting landmarks and facts about some of the towns they passed through. Rukia tried to pay attention but was tired from the journey and bored. She slowly tuned him out and slowly began to think of home and of the task ahead of her.

During the course of the one-way conversation, Martin turned it to Rukia.

"So, where 'bout's in Japan did you say you're from?" the orange haired man asked, looking at her through the rear-view mirror.

Rukia blinked and was brought to back to the conversation at hand. Fortunately, she caught the question and pretended to have been paying attention the whole time.

"Karakura Town," the lieutenant answered at once.

"Ah," the man said with an almost understanding nod.

"Have you been there?"

"Nope!" he chuckled. Shaking his head, the man continued, "I'm just wondering. Haven't left these old United States in a long time and I like hearing about far off places. Certainly haven't been to Japan before. What's Japan like?"

Rukia gave him a sparse and vague description based on her experience in Karakura Town and what she saw of Tokyo when she was leaving.

Martin nodded slowly. "Sounds nice," the cabbie said admiringly.

"Maybe you can visit one day and see for yourself," Rukia suggested.

The orange haired man made a face. "Nah" he said, "As much as I like to hear of far off places, I'm not one for globetrotting. I mean I travel but not very often. I'm perfectly content with where I am. Besides, I never really get much time off with my job."

"How long have you lived here, in America?"

"All my life," he smiled a yellow smile. "My family has been here for generations, dating back to the Civil War and beyond. I'll probably die here too, like the rest of my forefathers."

A moment of silence passed between them and Rukia decided to ask about her destination.

"Amity Park? Oh yeah, you'll like it there!" he smiled. "Lots of nice folks and some nice scenery. Nicest place to live, as they claim. It's a great place, though not as great as Elmerton, hometown of myself and and the greatest football team in the history of high school football, the Elmerton Eagles!" He patted the little bobble head figure of an orange clad football player gently on the head.

Rukia smiled a little at his enthusiastic pride for his hometown.

"While Amity Park is not as cool as Elmerton," the cabbie continued, "it does have quite a colorful history. I will say it's probably one of the most unique towns in the state, hell, maybe even in the entire country."

Rukia quirked an eyebrow, "Really?"

The man nodded "Yeah. Not many people know this, but Amity Park's history is rife with encounters with the supernatural. Ghosts, witches, all that stuff."

Rukia considered the cab driver's words carefully. Soul Society knew very little about Amity Park and if what Martin was saying was true, then this particular town could be a hotbed of spiritual activity. She had to learn more; it could very well mean life or death. The shinigami lieutenant asked "What else could you tell me about Amity Park's...colorful history?"

"Not much," Martin answered with a shrug. "I know some of the more juicy events but if you really want to know more about the nitty gritty, you should probably talk to Ol' Isaac Faraday."

Rukia blinked. That name sounded familiar. It took her a few moments to remember that the name showed up on one of the papers in Urahara's packet. Apparently he was the man who helped make this foreign exchange student cover possible. It would seem that she had to pay this Mr. Faraday a visit as soon as possible.

Martin's blue eyes narrowed and a frown formed on his lips. "Although I don't know much about Amity's past, its present is probably more interesting. Some pretty interesting things have been going on for the past few months. Whatever it is, I doubt it's going away any time soon."

That last little bit of his sentence made Rukia frown at the orange haired man. Something about him nagged at the shinigami but she couldn't tell what it was.

They had reached Amity Park not long after. It was much bigger than most of the towns that they had passed through earlier, while noticeably smaller than the city they departed from earlier.

As the taxi wound its way through the streets of this bustling city, Rukia could feel something. It wasn't quite Reiatsu but something closely akin to it. She also felt an eerie sensation, like someone was watching her. Scanning the passing scenery, the shinigami saw nothing but ordinary looking, houses, apartment buildings and streets. The cab turned down another street but the eerie feeling never went away.

* * *

Once the cab came to a stop outside of the building with the Fenton Works sign, Rukia got out and inspected what was to be her home for the next few months or so. It stood out like a sore thumb in comparison to the rows of ordinary looking buildings.

Urahara's packet didn't have much information on the family she was staying with, only the name of the parents, Jack and Maddie Fenton.

She turned to Martin, who had already unloaded Rukia's luggage from the trunk of the cab, and asked, "You wouldn't happen to know what the Fenton's are like?"

An amused smile appeared on his face. "In this county, you'll be somewhat hard pressed to find someone who hasn't at least heard of the Fenton clan," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "They're not serial killers or major celebs but they've made a name for themselves due to their…eccentricity."

"Eccentricity?" Rukia echoed.

Martin nodded "Yeah, Jack and Maddie, your gracious hosts, are ghost hunters."

Rukia gave him an odd look. Ghost hunters? She looked up at the building standing before her. Its peculiar appearance started to make some sense.

_This should be interesting_, the shinigami thought.

"I know them only by reputation," the ginger cabbie explained. "They're good people, though when it comes to ghosts, Jack and Maddie get a little intense. Reminds me of a funny story involving a kid's birthday party down at the old Potter place over on Orchard Street…"

_Never a dull moment_ Urahara's voice whispered in her mind. Rukia took a deep breath and decided to proceed with her mission.

She gathered up her things and made sure that everything was accounted for. The lieutenant thanked Martin for the ride and offered to pay the cab fare but the ginger haired man waved a dismissive hand.

"Keep your money," Martin said nicely. "Its on the house, seeing as this is my day off and I'm doing this as a favor for a friend." A beep sounded and Martin looked at an old digital watch on his wrist. "Crap, I got a meeting to go to."

Rukia thanked him again and he gave her a firm handshake. He climbed into his taxi and rolled his window down.

"Good luck, Ms. Kuchiki" Martin said sincerely "You'll do great. I'll be rooting for ya!"

Rukia smiled and waved as the battered looking cab drove off, disappearing around the corner.

The shinigami lieutenant grabbed her bags and marched up to the front door. She knocked and after a brief wait, the door opened, revealing a large, bulky man in an orange jumpsuit with black gloves and boots. Rukia looked up at the man. He was middle aged, had black hair, streaked with white in the back, and had blue eyes.

The man looked down at her curiously. "Can I help you?" the man asked.

"Hi, I'm Rukia Kuchiki," the shinigami greeted the man cheerfully. "I'm the foreign exchange student who will be staying with your family."

The man looked at her blankly. "Come again?" the man said, confusion written on his face.

Rukia blinked and tried again. "I-I'm the student from Japan," she explained. "I was told that I would be staying with the Fenton family."

The man tapped his chin thoughtfully, considering her words carefully. Finally, he shrugged. "Can't say that I know anything about a foreign exchange student staying with us."

A bit of sweat slid down the lieutenant's brow. _Don't tell me that there's been a mistake_ Rukia thought nervously.

"I was told that Mr. Faraday-" she began but was cut off when the man cut her off.

"You know Isaac?" the man said, surprised.

"Y-yes" she said slowly "He was the one who set this up."

Realization dawned on the man and he hit himself lightly on the forehead. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "The exchange student! I'm sorry about that, I thought you were coming next week." The man stepped aside and invited her in.

Rukia let out a small sigh of relief and entered the home.

* * *

Inside was fairly spacious and looked like a normal home, with a sitting room off to her right, another room off to her left. Ahead of her were some stairs leading to the upper levels.

The man introduced himself as Jack Fenton. He shook Rukia's hand very energetically, almost pulling her arm out off and making her almost lose her balance. He offered to take her bags up for her but the shinigami lieutenant politely declined. Jack insisted and Rukia reluctantly handed him her larger cases.

The orange clad ghost hunter led her to where she was going to be staying.

As the two made their way up the stairs, Jack apologized. "Sorry for not realizing who you were," he said, "This week has been pretty busy, what with all the different projects and inventions that the missus and I have been working on."

"You're an inventor?" Rukia asked, even though she already knew the answer.

"Sort of" Jack replied, "My wife and I are ghost hunters! For years we've devoted ourselves to the study of the paranormal and have been working to prove our theories and, hopefully, catch a real ghost someday!"

The lieutenant considered the ramifications of living humans being able to capture spirits with technology and shivered. While it could open up some positive possibilities in the realms of science, it most likely would have some dire consequences should the wrong people get their hands on such technology.

At the top of the stairs, a cold and eerie sensation swept through Rukia, which stopped her in her tracks. She looked about and saw nothing, except for an orange haired teenage girl walking by the bottom of the stairs, her nose in a book.

Using her Reikaku, Rukia sensed that this strange sensation was not coming from the girl, but from somewhere down below. This sensation was similar to what she felt in the cab, only more powerful and constant. She didn't know what it was but Rukia needed to find out what it was.

Fortunately, or unfortunately she wasn't sure yet, this cold sensation seemed to persist…for now.

* * *

On the second floor, Jack led Rukia down a hallway to a door across from another door decorated with stickers and posters. The most prominent poster, which covered the width of the door, was a glossy rectangle that read _Danny's Room_.

"Here we are!" Jack announced, opening the door "The guest room."

Through the door, Rukia saw a decently sized bedroom. Its furnishings were sparse, with a bed off to one side under a window, a chest of drawers in a far corner of the room and a desk against the wall closest to the door. There were two other doors. One led to a small bathroom and the other to a closet.

For some reason, Ichigo's room came to Rukia's mind. This one seemed roughly the same size, though it had the benefits of its own bathroom. However, Ichigo's room may have the advantage when it came to closet space. Jack carefully set down Rukia's luggage.

"Thank you Mr. Fenton," Rukia thanked politely.

"No problem Miss…" Jack began but quickly trailed off. He frowned "What was your name again?"

"Rukia Kuchiki" she answered.

"Right, right." Jack nodded, "Anyway, I'll just leave you to unpack and we can start the tour of the house later-"

"I can unpack later!" Rukia blurted out. While she wanted get unpacked and relax a little, the lieutenant could still feel that powerful cold sensation emanating from beneath their feet, probably from a basement of sorts. A tour of the house would give her an excuse to snoop around without looking suspicious.

"Lets just start the tour," she said, fumbling together an excuse "I-I'm interested to see more of your home and learn more about ghost hunting."

Almost as if someone had flipped a switch, Jack's demeanor changed from ordinary to extremely excited.

"Alright then!" Jack declared dramatically, darting out into the hall "Follow me!" Before she could speak, Rukia saw Mr. Fenton take off like a shot.

For some reason, Rukia was reminded of Ichigo's father. She smiled to herself and hurried after the orange clad ghost hunter.

* * *

The tour of the house proper was rather quick and uneventful. The upstairs were mostly bedrooms and living quarters. The metal structure on the roof, Rukia soon learned, was called the Emergency Ops Center. From what Mr. Fenton told her, the Ops Center purpose was threefold.

It was an observatory, additional living space and, in case of emergencies, a mobile operations center should Fenton Works ever be compromised. How it was mobile, Rukia could only guess, seeing how the entire structure was almost bigger than Fenton Works itself and did not look capable of moving on its own.

The main rooms downstairs were given a quick introduction and then they went to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, the sensation was a lot stronger and the lieutenant could sense it coming from the door at the other end of the room.

Sitting at the kitchen table was the orange haired girl from earlier, still reading a book intently. Upon closer inspection, Rukia discovered that it was a psychology textbook.

"This is my daughter Jazz," Mr. Fenton said, clapping a hand on the girl's shoulder.

The girl looked up and smiled at Rukia. "Hello!" she greeted "You're the new exchange student, right?"

"That's right!"

"I'm just giving Miss Kuchiki the grand tour," Mr. Fenton said "She says she's interested in learning about ghosts and ghost hunting."

Jazz frowned at the mention of ghosts. "Oh, well I'm sure you'll find it to be a very interesting topic" the orange haired teen said, sounding somewhat sarcastic.

"Don't mind her," the teen's father said casually "Jazz is the resident skeptic. She doesn't believe in ghosts despite all the evidence."

"Evidence!" Jazz snorted, "You mean that photo with the chocolate smear on the corner?"

"It was a ghost I tell you!" Jack cried.

Rukia didn't know what to make of the argument happening in front of her. She didn't know whether to laugh at the absurdity or to excuse herself. Noticing their audience, the two Fenton's dropped the subject.

Jazz turned her attention back to her book and Jack motioned Rukia to follow.

Through the door at the other end of the kitchen and down a lengthy set of stairs, Jack led Rukia to the basement. As they descended the steps, the lieutenant began to feel cold and fought hard not to shiver. It was as if they were sinking to the bottom of an ice-cold lake.

At the bottom of the stairs, Rukia gazed in wonder at what awaited them. The basement was spacious, big enough to house at least a dozen people and still have room left. Lining one side was a workbench, its surface was cluttered with beakers, machine parts, shiny gadgets and scattered pieces of paper.

Off to the left were dozens of consoles with blinking lights and computer screens reading off all sort of data. In the corner by the consoles was a locker of sorts marked "Hazardous" in yellow and black.

To her right, Rukia discovered the source of the cold and eerie sensation. Bolted to the wall was a circular device that resembled a porthole window on a ship. Above it was a red light attached to an alarm system. There was also a keypad next to the circular device. Within the porthole looking device was a standing whirlpool of glowing green and black energy.

"Here we are, the heart and soul of Fenton Works!" Jack announced dramatically "The lab. Here we build and experiment our latest ghost hunting gadgets." As the orange clad ghost hunter rattled on about ghost hunting, inventions and fudge, Rukia's attention was slowly drawn to the eerie looking portal.

She stepped closer to the swirling mass of green and black. As she did so, the coldness grew stronger. A few feet away from it, the coldness washed over her as if she was being blasted by a gust of wind in winter. Her suspicions were confirmed. This was definitely the source of the strange cold sensation.

As she gazed into the portal's depths, the swirling green and black energy seemed to invite her to step through it. The lieutenant could've sworn she heard whispers coming from within it. She reached out to touch it but decided against it.

"Ah, I see that you've found the Fenton Portal" Mr. Fenton said, appearing by her side. "Ain't she a beaut?"

"Portal?" Rukia asked, looking up at the large man.

"Yes indeed, a portal" the man said proudly. "A few months ago we built this nifty little device so that it would allow us to reach the dimension in which all wayward spirits dwell: the Ghost Zone."

Rukia blinked in surprise.

"Does it work?" Rukia asked.

"Yes, though we don't really use it that much" Jack said slowly.

"Why not?"

"Because its dangerous. The Ghost Zone is a volatile and chaotic realm in which the laws of physics don't apply."

"You've been through it?"

Jack shook his head, "No, we merely sent some probes through the portal and collected some data before they were mysteriously destroyed. From what little data we were able to gather, the Ghost Zone is vast, almost endless and could possibly be hiding all sorts of mind bending horrors and dangers." The orange cladded ghost hunter shivered "Stepping through the event horizon of the portal is extremely dangerous, tantamount to walking into a lion's den."

Rukia nodded in understanding, though she was still trying to wrap her head around what he told her. The Fentons had actually built a portal to reach another plane of existence. This was astonishing! How has nobody every heard of this or claim it as their own?

Also, if what Mr. Fenton was saying were true, then going through the portal would be off the table. Who knows what she could be walking into and who knows whether or not she could make it back out.

She was also surprised at how knowledgeable Mr. Fenton was. Perhaps there was more to him underneath his goofy personality.

Jack walked over to the keypad and punched in a code and a pair of heavy blast doors, covered black and yellow hazard stripes, slid shut over the swirling whirlpool of eerie energy. Once they were closed, the cold and eerie feeling that Rukia had suddenly stopped. The shinigami lieutenant made a mental note to remember this feeling and investigate it to see ghosts typically emitted a similar sensation and energy. She also considered the possibility of the Fenton Portal being used by the Phantom Guard before her arrival, but all this could wait. There was a lot that she had yet to do.

"It's strange really," Jack murmured.

"What's strange?" Rukia asked.

"I could've sworn we had this thing closed this morning" the man replied, scratching his head.

The lieutenant frowned at that piece of information.

The ghost hunter, on the other hand, shrugged. "Oh well. How 'bout lunch?"

* * *

Rukia made her way down the street, keeping her eyes peeled for her next destination.

Following the grand tour of Fenton Works, Rukia shared a lunch with Jack and Jazz, which included meatball subs and soda. While lunch was tasty and the interaction between Jazz and her father were rather interesting to watch, Rukia's thoughts were on the portal in the basement and on the Phantom Guard.

She now had a possible entry point into the Phantom Guard's domain but she was utterly ignorant of what lay on the other side of the portal. Mr. Fenton didn't seem to know much more than what he already told her and Jazz didn't believe in ghosts. The only other option was this Isaac Faraday person, with whom Urahara seemed to be in contact with.

Rukia asked Jazz and her father about who this Isaac Faraday person was and where she could find him.

"Mr. Faraday runs the candy store the next street over," Jazz explained, "He's lived here for a long, long time and is like a grandpa to a lot of the neighborhood kids."

"Old Isaac is a fishing buddy of mine," Jack said with a wistful smile on his face "Dang good poker player too, you can never really tell what's going on in his head."

The orange haired teen frowned at Rukia "Why do you ask?"

"A friend of mine told me to look him up when I got here" Rukia replied casually, giving the two a plausible ready made excuse "Apparently they're pen pals."

"Nice! When you see him, tell him I'm looking forward to kicking his butt at our next card game." Mr. Fenton said with a grin.

Rukia agreed to do so and had shortly after set off to meet the man, following the directions Jazz related to her.

It didn't take long for the shinigami lieutenant to find Faraday's candy shop.

She stopped in front of a squat, two-story brick building. Between two latticed bay window fronts that held bright and colorful displays, was a dark wooden door with a window. Painted on the door's window in gold letters were the words _Faraday's Sweets and Frozen Treats_. She opened the door.

A bell jingled, announcing her arrival, and she stepped inside.

* * *

The inside of the story was spacious and cool. The walls were covered in shelves and display cases, all holding a wide assortment of sweets in bright and colorful packages and wrappers. The floor was black and white checkered tile. A slim emerald carpet ran from the door up to a counter at the other end of the store, which was manned by an old man who was tending to a young boy and his mother.

"Here you go!" the old man said cheerfully, summoning an ice cream cone with three purple scoops with a dramatic flourish, "One triple Berry Sunrise for the young man!" He handed the cone to the boy's mother, who then handed off to her son.

"What do you say, Tommy?" the woman asked her son.

"Thank you Mr. Faraday," the boy thanked the old man, his voice was soft and shy.

"You're welcome" the old man beamed. "Feel free to come and visit anytime!"

The boy and his mother left the store.

"Can I help you miss?" the old man asked, his voice warm and friendly, matching his toothy smile.

"Yes," she replied, "I think you can."

As she approached the counter, Rukia couldn't help but agree with Jazz's description of the candy shop owner. He looked like an ordinary, friendly grandfather. The old man was pale, wrinkly and had bright blue eyes peering at her behind a pair of wire framed spectacles. He was dressed in a candy cane striped shirt, a red bowtie, black pants and suspenders. Perched atop his head of snowy white hair was a boater hat with a solid red ribbon around the crown. He could easily pass as an ordinary old man but Rukia knew that looks could be deceiving.

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki" the shinigami lieutenant introduced herself. "Kisuke Urahara told me that you could help me."

The man's friendly demeanor held. In fact, his pearly white smile widened.

"Ah, so _you're_ the new addition to the Casper High student body," the old man said, sounding somewhat surprised. "You're the Shinigami. I'm glad that you made it."

Rukia felt her heart skip a beat. How did he know that? Urahara didn't say anything about telling anyone else that she was a Shinigami or her mission. The old man raised his hand in a calming motion.

"Please, no need to worry Ms. Kuchiki," the candy store owner assured her. "You are safe here. I'm not your enemy. I'm sorry, it's just that I didn't know what you looked like, only the time your flight would come in. You sort of surprised me. I wasn't expecting you for at least another hour."

"Forgive Me," Rukia said slowly "but you have me at a disadvantage. You know me but I don't know you. I know that you've been helping Urahara but how do I know that I can trust you."

"Well, no time like the present to get to know new people eh?"

The old man walked to the end of the counter and lifted up a section of the countertop, opening up a divide for him to pass through. He retreated into a backroom behind the counter through a doorway covered by a beaded curtain. The candy shop owner returned a moment later, carrying out two foldable chairs. Isaac set up the two chairs in front of the counter and gestured to the chair opposite to him.

"Sit, please, sit!" he insisted.

Rukia obeyed, feeling a little nervous. She noticed some movement and looked up, noticing a fluffy grey cat now sitting on the counter. The cat's emerald eyes stared at Rukia intently.

"Don't mind her," Isaac said, waving a hand at the cat "That's just Annabel. She doesn't bite."

Rukia nodded slowly.

"Candy?" the old man asked, gesturing to a nearby shelf holding jars of chocolates and lollipops. The lieutenant politely declined.

"So then, Ms. Kuchiki" Mr. Faraday said, rubbing his hands "Seeing how we're supposed to be allies and I'm supposed to be watching out for you, What do you want to know about me?"

"Who are you, really?" Rukia asked.

Isaac's eyes twinkled "Ah, ok. Allow me to properly introduce myself; I am Isaac Faraday, owner and proprietor of this here candy store. I am an American citizen and have lived in this country, and this town, for the last 70 or so years. I have a cat named Annabel, a bad back and terrible eyesight. I enjoy fishing, chess, reading and rock music."

Rukia stared at him for a moment, not really buying it and sensing that there was more to his explanation. "And?"

"And I am also a concerned third party who is worried about current events."

The lieutenant scowled, "Third party? Are you a Reaper?"

"Me? Oh no," the old man shook his head "Heavens no, I'd be a terrible Reaper. Can't stand all the politics and I hate paper work. If I were a Reaper, lets just say that we would be having this conversation in a less comfortable locale. I'm not a ghost either, so no need to worry about me on that front. I'm simply…me. Just a concerned fellow whose worried about his neighbors, that's all."

Rukia frowned, feeling slightly annoyed and intrigued. She didn't like the vagueness and ambiguity; it just causes headaches for her in the long run. She was somewhat reminded of Urahara, though Isaac seemed a little more forthcoming about himself. However, everyone is entitled to their privacy and their secrecy, so the lieutenant didn't press the issue.

"How do you know Urahara? In fact, how did you know that I was a Shinigami? I know for a fact that he was supposed to keep our identities and our mission a secret."

"I met Mr. Urahara online as a matter of fact," the old man answered cheerfully. "I've recently just gotten used to using my new fangled computer and we just happened to find each other on an online forum about supernatural events. It was a rather stimulating conversation and we both deduced that we knew a little more than we were letting on."

Faraday pushed his glasses back into place. "As to how I know that you're a Shinigami, well aside from having a hand in forging your documents and piecing together some rather obvious clues from recent events and Urahara, I've also had a run in with Shinigami in the past and you fit the bill."

He stared at her with the same eye an art critic would stare at a painting.

"Your aura, your energy feels distinctly different from a Reaper and a ghost" he explained "Your bearing and your nationality are also somewhat of a give away. It was also your eyes."

Rukia looked at him curiously "My eyes?"

Isaac nodded "Yes, your eyes. Those are the eyes of a soul who has seen a lot. Your eyes are old, not as old as mine mind you, but they're older than that of a normal teenage girl."

The shinigami lieutenant's eyebrows rose. She thought that her disguise and her actions were a pretty convincing cover but it would appear that there were other signs that easily gave her away. Rukia would have to work on those.

She considered Isaac's words carefully then suddenly looked at him in surprise.

"What did you mean when you said my eyes were not as old as yours?" she asked.

The old man chuckled. "It's a rather long and boring story," Isaac said with a knowing smile "But it suffices me to say that I am a little older than I look."

This answer merely created more questions but they would have to wait until a later date. Rukia had a job to do and she needed to get to work and fast.

As if he had read her thoughts, Isaac held up a hand. "Now, now, no need to go rushing into things" he said "We have time. Besides, you have a cover to maintain, remember? School? You don't want to alert everyone to your mission, human and Reaper, do you?"

Rukia grimaced. While Rukia liked learning new things, as well as hanging out in the world of the living, the lieutenant had a job to do. Her overall priority was to hunt down the Phantom Guard and uncover what their plans were and why they attacked Soul Society.

After a few moments, Rukia sighed and her shoulders slumped. "You're right," she admitted, reluctantly.

"I know I'm right" the old man said firmly "We can't just go off half-cocked without a plan. I'm not sure how you Shinigami do things, but the way we do things in this part of the world, specifically here in Amity Park, it's a whole new ballgame. There are rules, protocols and a whole mess of other things to consider. If you're not careful, you'll be stepping into a whole heap of trouble and I won't be able to help you."

Rukia nodded, understanding.

Isaac smiled "Now, how 'bout an ice cream cone?" The lieutenant gladly accepted his offer.

As the old man retreated behind the counter and began filling out her order, two scoops of rocky road, Rukia related Jack's boast to the candy shop owner.

Isaac snorted. "I like to see him try!" the old man said playfully "So far, I'm three and oh. I've made a good chunk of change off of Jackie boy."

When he was done, Faraday handed Rukia the ice cream cone. "Here, on the house" the old man said with a wink. "Think of it as a welcome to the neighborhood gift."

She thanked him and licked her ice cream cone. The chocolate was richer than she expected. The ice cream was soft yet not runny. Annabel was curled up on the counter, lazily watching Rukia as she licked her ice cream cone. Rukia ignored the cat, though part of her could've sworn that there was a sense of intelligence behind those emerald eyes.

"So, first time being away from home?" Faraday asked, scratching Annabel behind her ears, causing the cat to purr.

Rukia nodded "Yeah. I've never really left Karakura Town before, let alone Japan."

"Don't worry, you'll like it here" the old man said with a warm smile. "Folks here are really nice, like the Fentons and yours truly. We've also got some wonderful scenery too and lots of fun things to do."

"That's what Martin said," Rukia said with a small smile on her face.

Isaac's smile faltered. "Pardon?"

"Martin?" Rukia said, looking at the man oddly "Martin Hill? The cab driver you and Uarahara arranged to pick me up from the airport?"

Isaac's smile faded completely. In its place, a look of confusion and worry arose.

"What is it?" Rukia asked, feeling a worried. "What's wrong?"

"Did you say Martin Hill?" the old man asked, his tone serious and his expression grim. "Y-yes, why?"

Isaac shook his head "Rukia, I didn't hire a cab driver named Martin Hill. In fact, the man you that encountered…if he is who I suspect he is, then you're lucky to be alive."

A chill colder than the eerie sensation she felt at the Fentons slithered down her spine. Hell of a first day in a new country for the lieutenant.

* * *

**(a/n: what do you think? Please let me know. Sorry if it got a little repetitive at times and I hope I got the character's down, its been a while since I watched Danny Phantom and I'm just trying to factor in a lot of new stuff for Bleach. Until next time, see ya!)**


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